The sixth World Bank/FGN Mission to Kogi State on the Fadama III Project Additional Financing has scored cassava cluster farmers in the state high for what it described as a tremendous progress.
Dr. Adetunji Oredipe, the Task Team Leader Fadama III AF, gave this commendation at the 30 hectare Iyale production cluster farm in Dekina Local Government Area of the state.
Represented by Mallam Abdulsalam Balarabe, Oredipe said the essence of the visit was to provide implementation support for the participating states through a review of progress and level of implementation assessments.
He also said that the team was satisfied with the increase in hectares of cassava farms and hi-tech packaging.
Oredipe said: “Our concern is for farmers to get profit from what they do in a bid to make agriculture business profitable and I am happy that you are following the rules.”
Also, at Aduge in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi, the National Project Coordinator of the Fadama III, Tayo Adewumi, said the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal and Kogi State Governments, would construct aggregation centres in the state.
The aggregation centres, according to him, are centralised markets for off-takers of cassava tubers to serve as one-stop shop for the produce and provide easy access and curtail glut.
Adewumi explained that although, the State Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with about seven off-takers, the essence of the aggregation centres was that the off-takers would no longer look for the farmers.
Adewumi said: “The kind of aggregation centres we want to build are not monopolised ones but what we call, common user facilities, where all farmer can bring in their farm produce for sale.”
Adewumi, who led the Team A to supervise the Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprises Centre at Apaa-Bunu and Fadama cassava cluster farms in Odo-Ape and Aduge, lauded the efforts of farmers in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the team also visited the 80 hectares farms as well as the collaboration centre on waste to wealth for conversion of cassava peels to livestock feeds, supported by Synergos Nigeria in Ojapata, Ankpa LGA.
Olayemi Okunlola, the Ekiti State Project Coordinator Fadama Coordination office and Team B Leader to Kogi East, expressed satisfaction with the level of implementation.
Synergos representative, Victor Adejoh, who was also at Ojapata during the visit, lauded the Fadama III for the intervention, saying that the partnership with his organisation had attracted more dividends to his community.
Trending
- OSUN: NANS seeks intervention from Governor Adeleke, threatens protest over fee hike, palliative
- Easter Celebration: IGP orders round-the-clock water-tight security at all public spaces
- Kogi poll: SDP witness contradicts self on alleged ‘affidavit forgery’ against Governor Ododo
- No BoT in Labour Party, spokesman dismisses takeover claims
- Nigerian writer urges preservation of literary heritage amid writer shortage
- Health professionals brainstorm in Abuja, seek drug free society
- CAF announce dates for Champions League, Confederation Cup Finals
- Tayo Ayinde withdraws suit against Gani Adams, restates commitment to peace