By Oluwatoyin Adegoke
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to modernizing agriculture through technology, assuring farmers that no one will be left behind in the efforts to boost food production.
The Minister of Information and national Orientation,Alhaji Mohammed Idris, made this known in Abeokuta, during a sensitization campaign tagged, “Tinubu Administration’s Midterm Report”, put together by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
Alhaji Idris represented by the Ministry’s Head of Centre in Ogun State, Mr. Abiodun Obafemi, affirmed that the government was partnering with local organizations to train farmers on digital tools.
He explained that taking advantage of AgriConnect, a mobile platform ensuring that farmers get timely access to weather updates, pest control tips, crop planning support and direct links to buyers, would help to reduce their loss, while improving the yields and farmers income.
Alhaji Idris urged farmers to embrace the innovation with the assurance that the app was user-friendly and measures were in place to offer support programmes to those not familiar with smartphones.
In a remark, Chairman of the Ajegunle Farm Cluster, Mr. Rotimi Shogunle, lauded the Federal and Ogun State governments for recognizing the settlement as a key agricultural hub.
Mr. Shogunle also disclosed that more than 400 farmers in the cluster had benefited from free fertilizers, subsidized poultry production and maize cultivation under the Ogun State Economic Enhancement Project.
Other participants urged the government to regularly update the AgriConnect platform to maintain its efficiency.
The sensitization programme also featured a roadshow to enlighten residents of the area on the achievements of President Tinubu’s administration in the past two years.
