The Fadama lll AF Project says no fewer than 2,238ha of cassava and 472ha of rice had been cultivated by farmers through the scheme since 2014 in Ondo State.
Mr Olusiji Olatunde,the State Project Coordinator, made the disclosure at the Implementation Completion Review(ICR) held on Monday in Akure.
Olatunde, who said that the project was technically closed in the country in December 2019, said that the ICR was taking place in only 13 states, including Ondo.
He said: “Farmers in the state were supported to cultivate 2,238ha cassava and 472ha of rice farms.
” This is in addition of provision of assets such as threshers and other tools and construction of three agricultural equipment hiring enterprise centres in each of the three senatorial district in the state.
“Aside, over 2,000 jobs were created during the addition financing alone while over 5,500 jobs were created during the parent Fadama lll project.
” In 2019 alone, 258 graduate unemployed youths were supported with grant for their choice of agro allied enterprises.
“The project also impacted on over 5,000 indirect beneficiaries. These were those involved in providing services, off taking marketing of farm produce and users of infrastructure other than the beneficiaries.”
He commended the state government for the support recorded during the project’s implementation.
The Commissioner for Agriculture in Ondo State, Mr Adegboyega Adefarati, said that the project marked a breakthrough in the agricultural sector of the state and the country at large.
“The project has impacted significantly not only on food security but also on the rural economy and social infrastructure development of the state,” he added.
Also speaking, Dr Kush Peter Kukwi, a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, said that his team was in the state to asses the implementation of the initiative and get the response of the people.
“Our coming to Ondo State is to look at Fadama implementation completion review and how we can sustain those achievements that have been established by Fadama and to report back to see whether government or individuals can come in to do something to sustain them,” he said.(NAN)
