10 reasons why the Senator Ibikunle Amosun led administration has made agriculture a priority in its mission to rebuild Ogun State. Ogunpola Damilola, Media Assistant to the Ogun State Governor. For decades, agriculture has been associated with production of essential food crops. At present, agriculture above and beyond farming includes forestry, dairy, fruit cultivation, poultry, bee keeping, mushroom, arbitrary, etc. Today, processing, marketing and distribution of crops and livestock products etc. are all acknowledged as part of current agriculture. Thus, agriculture has been referred to by the SIA administration as the production, processing, promotion and distribution agricultural products. Agriculture plays a critical role in the entire life of a given economy. Agriculture is the backbone of economic system of a given country. In addition to providing food and raw material, agriculture also provides employment opportunities to very large percentage of population. This is why the SIA led admninistration prioritised agriculture in order to champion the diversification of the economy from oil to agriculture. 1. Source of Livelihood Agriculture as seen by the administration of SIA can be a good source of livelihood. The Ogun State government is working towards realising a situation where approximately 70 % of the people will directly rely on agriculture as a means of living. This high percentage will be achieved as a result of developing the agric sector activities to absorb the fast growing population. 2. Contribution to State revenue With inproved funding of the agricultural sector in Ogun State, the state government will make more revenue from agriculture. An example of such improved funding is the procurement of N500m worth of agricultural equipment ranging from tractors, planters, earth clearing machines and so on. This will automatically improve the agricultural output of farmers which will in turn generate more revenue for the state government. 3. Significance to the International Trade Agricultural products like sugarcane, rice, spices, cassava, cotton etc which are produced commercially in Ogun State can constitute the major items of exports from Ogun State. Towards achieving this, the state governement had embarked on the cultivation of 1,000 acres of rice, Lagos state government had also started the cultivation of 500 acres of rice in Ogun State too at Eggua, raised 1m hybrid disease resistant cocoa seedlings which are being sold to farmers at a subsidized rate, cassava multiplication project at ponkuku and many more. The administration of SIA is aware that if there is smooth development practice of agriculture, imports are reduced while export increases considerably. This will help to reduce state unfavorable balance of payments as well as saving foreign exchange. This amount may be well used to import other essential inputs, machinery, raw-material, and other infrastructure that is helpful for the support of states economic development. 4. Source of Raw Material This administration wants to keep the agricultural processing industries alive, and revive the ailing ones by investing more in agriculture so as to feed the industries with raw materials so as to keep the industries alive and stabilise the rate of employment. There are various agricultural industuries springing up along the roads being constructed starting with the rice processing plant and other private investor seeking land for orange plantation. This will create my jobs for the unemployed. 5. Significance in Transport One of the challenges in agriculture is poor trasnportation infrastructure. With the vision of the state government under the leadership of SIA about agriculture, it has influenced the state government positively into creating a condusive road network to help in transporting the agricultural produce from the farm to the consumers. Another example of the road is the ongoing 107km ilara - ilase road and the 10km idagba - olodo road. 6. Great Employment Opportunities Purchase of fishing imputs to the tune of N4m for fisher folks Training of 200 fish farmers and rehabilitation of state fish farms at odeda, ilaro and ikenne Raised 1m hybrid disease resistant cocoa seedlings which are being sold to farmers at a subsidized rate Rehabilitated coker farm settlement rd Re activation of southwest cotton ginnery at ilewo orile with the installation of a new bailing machine to the double roller ginnery with a 300KVA Commissioned the cassava processing industry at oke lemo in Ewekoro LGA Paid outstanding counterpart funds for fadama III for years 2009, 2010 and 2011 amounting to N60.74m Procured 50 motor bikes to ease movement of agric extension workers Turkey production project at kotopo (500) Rehabilitation of kotopo feed mill completed Cassava multiplication project at ponkuku This will provide more employment opportunities to the labor force and reduce the high rate of unemployment in the state caused by the fast growing population. 7. Economic Development The adminsitartion of SIA ia very much aware that agriculture can employ many people and that will contribute to economic development. As a result, the state income level as well as people’s standard of living is improved. The fast rate of development in agriculture sector offers progressive outlook as well as increased motivation for development. Hence, it aids to create good atmosphere for overall economic development of the state. Therefore, the state government is creating an environment where economic development will rely on the agricultural growth rate. 8. Source of Government Income: The Ogun State government is targeting increased revenue from agriculture via going into cultivation of rice, cassava and cocoa which will generate foreign exchange for the government. Apart from that, Land revenue, agricultural income tax and some other types of taxes are being levied on agriculture by the state governments. An example of such taxes are the ones levied on the Lagos state government from its 500 hectares rice plantation in Eggua. 9. Food Security A stable agricultural sector ensures a state of food security. The main requirement of any country is food security. Food security prevents malnourishment that has traditionally been believed to be one of the major problems faced by the developing countries. Most countries rely on agricultural products as well as associated industries for their main source of income, thats the model which the SIA led administartion is following in Ogun State today. 10. Helping the poor farmers The Ogun Sate government provided a sum of N1bn commercial agricultural scheme CACS for distribution to prospective farmers to improve agricultural production in the state. The state government realised that peasant farmers are very many, so it decided to pay the counterpart fund to access the FG commercial credit scheme which is being distribute in phases to help the peasant farmers have access to fund to enlarge their farms and increase output. God bless Ogun State
Posted on: Mon, 04 Nov 2013 14:18:07 +0000
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