Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture on Wednesday flagged off the harvesting of rice cultivated using the SAWAH Eco-Technology for Rice Farming (SERIF) at ESTRASERIF Mechanized Rice Farming Training/Demonstration Site, Ifasa Low Land Farm Settlement, Sawonjo, Yewa North LGA of Ogun State. The farms were planted during the dry season in November 2020.
The SAWAH Eco-Technology for intensive rice farming is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, through National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) in collaboration with Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture, to enhance rice productivity among smallholder farmers, through technology driven-intensive rice production and mechanization. The pilot phase of the project, kicked off in Ogun State, in October 2020.
The state governor represented by Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Adeola Odedina, assured that the state government would continue to accord high premium to agriculture leading to food security; reiterating that in 2020, the government facilitated linkage of 3,721 rice farmers to funding opportunities, inputs among others.
The successful pilot phase will be replicated in all local government areas of the.
Dignitaries in attendance at the event included the Caretaker Chairman, Yewa North LGA, Bankole David-Babatunde; permanent secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture; senior special assistant to the governor on agriculture; representative of the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), Ademiluyi Segun; project manager, Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP); project manager, FGN/IFAD/Ogun Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP); representatives of rice farmers including youths, among others.
