… as ministry Partners USAID on groundnut production.
By Dare Akogun
The Kwara State Government has again restated its commitment to the development of the agricultural sector through strategic partnership with relevant development partners, to give a boost to its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
This as the State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and United States Agency International Development (USAID), partners on ground nut production.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Oloruntoyosi Thomas stated made , during a stakeholders meeting with delegations from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, at the Ministry Headquarters, Ilorin the State Capital.
Mrs. Thomas affirmed that the present administration is delibrate at executing agricultural programmes, in order to make the sector more attractive to investors.
She added that, the State Government is therefore open to further collaborations, towards strengthening groundnut production, facilitating access to markets, as well as boosting agricultural production capacity, for the benefit of the farmers and agricultural sector, in Kwara State.
“The visit and partnership eventually underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in enhancing food production, agricultural sustainability and improving access to markets for local producers”.
Mrs Thomas further disclosed that the State Government is planning to establish Groundnut Estate in partnership with development partners, to ease the challenges of processing the commodity and also ensure its acceptability, at international markets.
Responding, the Public-Private Value Chain Manager, West Africa Trade and Investment Hub, Damian Okey Chikwendu stated that USAID is stimulating competitiveness for the private sector within the West African sub region, focusing on key commodities which include; rice, soya beans, groundnut, tomatoes aquaculture among others.
He said the agency is usually working with key State known as “keep the future States” but unfortunately Kwara State did not fall within the States.
According to him, “due to the potentials of the State in groundnut production and the strategic importance of the commodity to the project, as well as efforts of the key partner ‘L&L Foods’ in producing and processing aflatoxin free groundnut, Kwara State is considered for the project.”
Chikwendu however disclosed further that the delegation is in the State, to know what local partner are doing, adding that, their first point of call was to pay a courtesy visit to the Coordinating Ministry in charge of Agricultural activities, with the aim of informing them there is such investment in the State, in order to verify that information gathered from local partner are true.
He then reassured farmers that all necessary financial and technical support needed would be provided, to ensure the production of aflatoxin free groundnut for the project in the State.
The representative of the State Chairman, All Farmers Association (AFAN), Hon. Umar Mahmud Aboki appreciated both the Ministry and development partners’ commitment at ensuring that the agricultural business become a profitable ventures in the State.
