Capacity Building on Backyard Farming for 250 Ogun State Civil Servants has been identified as a way of addressing food crisis and ensuring food security in the state.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, stated this during a capacity building programme on Backyard Farming, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, to mark the year 2024 World Food Day, with the theme, “Right to Food for a Better Life and Future”, at Valley View Auditorium, Isale-Igbein, Abeokuta.
Hon. Owotomo explained that the capacity building was organised for the state’s workforce to mark the World Food Day, as well as jump start the state government’s efforts at promoting backyard farming, to ensure food security and boost food production.
“We believe by promoting backyard farming in the state, Civil Servants and residents will be able to produce their food in their backyard and this will definitely reduce the cost of food in the market”, he said.
The Commissioner informed that the initiative was an avenue to support the sector in attaining food sufficiency and production at the household level, adding that participants’ quota would contribute to the food security agenda of the state government by putting into practice what they have learnt during the training.
Speaking, the Head of Service, Mr. Onasanya, pointed out that the involvement of Civil Servants in backyard farming was to complement government’s efforts at ensuring food production in the state.
Contributing, a member of House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Ifedolapo Owode, enjoined residents of the state to be part of the collective efforts at ensuring food sufficiency.
Responding on behalf of other participants, Mr. Julius Sorunke from Ministry of Community Development and Cooperatives and Miss Folake Balogun from Ministry of Housing, applauded the state government for the training, promising to effectively utilise the knowledge garnered, while the seeds given would enhance their overall well-being and quality of life.
