Account opening exercise for verified subscribers of Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) across the 20 Local Government Areas of the State has commenced in preparation for the farming season.
Representing the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Dotun Shorunke who led a monitoring team from the Ministry to some Local Government Areas including Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Odeda, Yewa-North and Imeko-Afon Local of the State affirmed that farmers trooped out for the exercise which he said was necessary for the next phase of the programme as they have also been linked with Bank Verification Exercise.
He assured the verified subscribers of the provision of improved seedlings and certified seedlings for optimum outputs just as their farms also would be insured against unforeseen circumstance.
Dr. Shorunke expressed satisfaction on the level of work on the commencement of land clearing in Apojula, Odeda Local Government Area to be allotted to Cassava farmers who do not have farmlands but have been verified for the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, stating that the scheme was targeted at capturing 23,000 Cassava farmers across the 20 LGAs in the state.
Charging the farmers in Ogun West Senatorial Districts, the Project Manager, Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP), and Secretary of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, Ms Taiwo Ayansanwo said the scheme was meant to help farmers increase their capacities while she encouraged more farmers to embrace the scheme to reduce poverty.
She assured that the scheme will not be limited to cassava farmers, but all other aspects of agricultural value-chain. ‘’We will soon be training the farmers on how to achieve good agronomy for maximum farm produce”, she assured.
Giving an assessment of the of the account opening exercise, the Head of Retail Cluster, Wema Bank, Adedeji Osibeluwo said it was a huge success as the report from his team across the state shows that all verified subscribers have been issued account numbers.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Abeokuta North Local Government, Prince Tunde Tella and Secretary to Imeko-Afon Local Government, Mr. Olalotan Oluwasegun respectively, thanked the State Governor for putting the farmers at the grassroots into consideration. They pledged that management of Imeko-Afon Local Government will provide accommodation for the bank officials opening accounts for the subscribers while the operation lasts as the LG’s support for the scheme.
The Baale Agbe, Chief Abdullasisi Adedayo disclosed that this was the first time farmers in Imeko-Afon would be assessing funds for their farming as he appreciated how things were being done in orderly manner.
In their separate submissions, Mrs Adesina Idowu and a representative of youth farmers in the Area, Adedeji Yakubu from Ogun West and Pastor Tolulope Taiwo from Abeokuta North expressed delights at the scheme, urged youths to embrace agriculture.
