The place of Agriculture in any economy cannot be overemphasized. For any society that wants to stand the test of time, it must take pride in its agricultural prowess.
In times past, Nigeria used to be one of those countries that thrived on Agriculture. From the groundnut pyramid in the North, to the cocoa plantation in the South West, Nigeria had its pride of place and thrived very well.
However, with the discovery of oil in Oloibiri in the South South, Nigeria turned her back on Agriculture focusing her attention on getting quick wealth from oil. Oil which should have been a blessing became the source of temporary pleasure and then pain. Pleasure because the economy was buoyant and robust for some years. Pain because, as a people we failed to save for the future as we thought that oil and its allied products would remain forever and that the market indices would always be in our favour.
Things have however, turned from what we have enjoyed. The resources from oil are dwindling and so many other nations have also discovered oil.
Nigeria in the recent past has tried to go ‘back to land’. This I must say, is a very good one. The present government is championing the cause of agriculture as one of its cardinal agenda.
Kogi State is not left out in the issue of going back to land. While it has done so over the years, more efforts are being put in place to make Agriculture her mainstay.
One flagship project in Agriculture that has continued to impact the lives of Kogi State indigenes positively is the Fadama III Additional Financing Project. The Fadama Project over the years has implemented agricultural projects that have increased the income of beneficiaries as well as improved their living standard.
The Fadama III Additional Financing Project commenced in Kogi State in the year 2014 with the cultivation of Cassava. This is against the backdrop the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Jonathan led government where six states with comparative advantage in selected crops of cassava, rice, sorghum and horticulture where selected to implement same. At that time, Kogi State being the highest producer of cassava in Nigeria, was the only on state implementing the Project. To date, over 2000ha of cassava farms have been established to the TME 419 variety in spite of the challenges of land clearing. While some have been harvested, others are still on the farms. Those harvested have been processed into various forms of starch, garri, cassava flour (fermented and unfermented).
The farmers where linked to off-takers who bought from them at good prices. The farmers sold both tubers and cuttings. Cassava has now become a money-spinning business in Kogi State.
With the successes recorded in the implementation of cassava in the state, she made her intention known to the World Bank to go into rice production. This is because Kogi State also has potential for rice production.
As at today, over 3,000 hectares of land have been cultivated to the Faro 44 variety of rice. From Bassa to Idah, Ibaji, Lokoja, Ajaokuta, Koton Karfe, Fadama rice farms can be seen across the state.
Only recently, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Oloruntoba Kehinde took a tour of some Fadama farms implemented by the beneficiaries in the state. He was in different communities at Bassa, Idah, Ibaji and Kabba LGA. According to Hon. Kehinde, by December the quest by the Kogi State Government to become one of the leading rice-producing states in the country would come to fruition given the massive rice production drive by the Fadama Project in the State.
For him, the state’s packaged rice- Confluence Rice, would be available in the market for purchase. The Commissioner who was happy with what was on the farms, said the state would increase funding for more partnership with the Fadama Project. This is necessary as the state is working on a rice processing mill at Ejiba in Yagba West LGA which has a capacity of processing 50 tonnes of paddy rice per day. This is in addition to that which the Federal Government hopes to be installed at Ibaji in Ibaji LGA at the same capacity.
While commenting on the rice revolution in the state, the Commissioner affirmed that what he had seen on the farms, the Fadama Project in Kogi State is on course and doing well and talks are on with the State Project Coordinator for further collaboration so as to maximise the benefits available under the project so as to engage more youths in business.
The Special Adviser on Agriculture, David Apeh, who was also part of the visits, said the feats achieved under the project are clear testimonies of the of the impact of the Fadama III Additional Financing on the lives of direct and indirect beneficiaries.
On his part, agriculture is the only thing that could take Nigeria away from recession and this can be achieved by making Agriculture a business and giving it its pride of place in the scheme of things. This is indeed not out of place. For cassava, so many opportunities abound as it can be converted into several end products.
So far in Kogi State over 5000 persons have benefitted directly from the Project. This excludes indirect beneficiaries. The project is touching lives and changing destinies.
Agriculture is fast becoming a business in the state as a ton of cassava goes for at least twenty thousand (N20,000.00) naira as compared to what it was before the implementation of Fadama III AF. In the past, it used to be between eight thousand to nine thousand naira. The farmers are now smiling.
. Ali is the Communication Officer of the FADAMA project in Kogi State.