In the effort to strengthen partnership for boosting food production, promoting agriculture value chains and ensuring the sustainability of production systems, the Ondo State Government officials have partnered the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to sustain support to the state with more initiatives and options to drive the agricultural processes.

The deputy governor of the state, Lucky Orimisan, while on a courtesy call to the FAO representative in Nigeria and to the Economic Organisation of the West African States (ECOWAS), Mr. Fred Kafeero, at the United Nations House in Abuja, said the vision is to transform agriculture in the state, lift the status of the sector from where it is today to the right trajectory, hence the need to seek collaboration with reliable and competent partners.

“The fact is that agriculture is one of the major drivers of the present administration in the state, and as Ondo is the highest producer of cocoa in the country, we want to produce more arable crops. We would like to get support on accessing funding for agriculture, sericulture, investment in large scale ranching, for which we are ready to provide the land, support in irrigation, aquaculture – floating fish rearing systems, forest management, amongst others.”

Enumerating further on the needs of the state, the deputy governor also said that the state-owned poultry hatchery has become moribund, thus investment advice, technical support and private sector investment are needed to revive the facility. Nigerian Tribune