The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said his government in the last seven and a half years, has prioritized investment in agriculture, boosting the capacity of farmers and creating a market for farm produce as part of efforts to boost food production and tackle food insecurity.
The governor, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, said the government is rethinking agriculture and de-risking the agricultural value chain to encourage the influx of investors into the sector.
Obaseki said the State has also rejigged its agricultural policies and guaranteed the needed infrastructure and support to drive the State’s agriculture development plans.
According to him, “Edo has, perhaps in terms of infrastructure, one of the best Schools of Agriculture today. They are focusing on human capacity development. Government built it, but we asked Presco and Okomu to be on the school’s governing board. We are working together to create a school that will train people for them, not just for certificates to go to the marketplace.”
He further stated, “So, we are building the capacity, making sure that we look at how to now undertake food production on scale. Another thing we have done is to create demand in certain product areas.
“We encouraged investors to buy up the moribund feed and flour mills. So, any grain you cultivate, soybeans, among others, around the 150-kilometer radius of that facility is purchased, instead of waiting for trucks to bring maize from the North.”
Obaseki added, “People are also cultivating cassava. We have two ethanol plants in the State. We have cassava millionaires. So, any amount of cassava you produce today is purchased because there is a need for it. As you are producing your cassava, the slush and all the materials you get from the produce, there are people who are running their piggeries who are waiting for those byproducts.
“So, that’s what you see driving economic growth. Yes, we’ve thought it through, we have rejigged our agricultural policies; we did the rethinking about agriculture and are being supportive and de-risking the agricultural value chain for investors who we’re encouraging to come in.”
