Ondo to partner Lagos on rice production

The Ondo State Government says it will partner with the Lagos State Government on rice production.

The Commissioner for Agriculture in the state, Mr Adegboyega Adefarati, said this while inspecting Fadama 111 Additional Financing projects in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.

Adefarati said that the state government had secured over 4,000 hectres of land in Ogbese, Okitipupa, Ese-Odo and Ilaje for rice production.

“The Lagos State Government, as she is doing with Kebbi State, is coming to Ondo State to partner with us on rice production,’’ he said

The commissioner said a Fadama-sponsored rice factory would be put in place to produce the state’s branded rice.

Inspecting the installation of the 14-ton per day rice mill funded by the Fadama project at Ogbese, Adefarati said farmers got support due to government’s intervention through prompt payment of counterpart contribution.

Adefarati, who also visited the 20-hectre cassava farm of Iju-Ifedapo cluster in Akure North Local Government Area, urged farmers to continue to support the administration to enjoy more dividends of good governance.

The commissioner assured farmers that the state government would soon enact enabling laws that would prevent incessant farmers-herders conflict in the state.

Mr Ajewole Ajisafe, the Chairman of the Production Cluster at Ogbese, attributed the success recorded in farm operation to the peaceful and harmonious relationship between farmers and herdsmen.

Ajisafe said that herdsmen in the community had been operating in the area without conflicts, adding that this had been the recipe for a mutual relationship.