Ogun State government has pledged to train farmers on best agricultural practices that will increase their yield per hectare thereby ensuring food security for the country.
Adepeju Adebajo, Commissioner for Agriculture, Ogun State stated this at the harvesting of an hectare IFAD-Value Chain Developmental Program (VCDP) cassava demonstration farm at Alagada village near Oba in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the State.
She said with best agricultural practices such as proper land preparation, quality stems, adequate spacing of crops, application of appropriate fertilizers, insecticide, farm maintenance, as well as improved harvesting methods of farm produce, cassava farmers will get the best yields as well as break away from traditional way of farming which is outdated, less result-oriented and unprofitable.
The commissioner therefore implore farmers in the state to always make themselves available and make the best use of the opportunity provided by the state ministry of agriculture officials and other extension workers to show them and practicalise the innovations in farming for maximum yield.
On the TME 419 cassava variety planted on the one hectare demonstration farm with the best Agricultural practices, the Commissioner said the 51 tonnes per hectare harvested at the demonstration farm is a national record compared to an average of 17 tonnes per hectare using the traditional methods of farming.
Speaking earlier, Ibikunle Onasanya, chief executive officer of agribusiness services-a private Extension provider who supervised the demonstration farm on behalf of the Ogun state Value Chain Development Programme, said the demonstration farm will be replicated in four other Local Government Areas of the State namely Ijebu East, Ijebu North-Eastr, Yewa North and Ifo so that farmers not only increase their yields but ensure food security and profit maximization.
Josephine Okojie
