Sam Philip
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises – Niger Delta have inaugurated the Ondo State Agribusiness Innovative Forum (LAbIF).
In his address during the launching, the State Project Coordinator(SPC) of IFAD LiFE-ND, Mr. Ademola Olawale, on Monday explained that the initiative is aimed at boosting food security in the state.
He said the essence of the initiative was to support and encourage youths farmers that had been empowered by the IFAD LiFE-ND projects in Ondo State.
Mr. Olawale disclosed that the Federal Government in the collaboration with IFAD initiated the initiative across all the nine oil producing states.
He emphasised that LAbIF was meant to bring together all the stakeholders in agriculture value chain to ensure that nothing is left out when it is comes to production, harvesting, processing, marketing and others in the states.
Mr. Olawole said: “LABIF is an initiative whereby the producer will be producing, then Input supplier will supply all the necessary inputs and those in processors, marketing will equally be involved
“So, we are looking beyond having our incubates at the local level, though, some of our incubates are already into export in the state.
“This LAbIF comprises of agricultural stakeholders such as Bank Of Agriculture, Bank of Industry, SMEDAN, NAFDAC, financial institutions and others.
“So, in the next two years, we want to have more champions that will be producing within and outside the state.
“Moreover, IFAD is not stopping at training and empowering youths alone, but we are looking at how to quickly establish our beneficiaries so that they too will be able to feed the state and the nation.”
Delivering his address, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Chief Olayato Aribo commended IFAD and Federal Government for the laudable initiative and for making funds available for the project in the state.
Aribo said: “This launched LIFE-ND Agribusiness Innovative Forum of today, must record success, it must not die, because, it is a baby in our hands.
“All the beneficiaries should deploy all what they have gained on the fields for them to be self – employed and become great agro-preneuers and employers of labour.
” It is a known fact that Agriculture is the way to go, where our youths can be adequately engaged and empowered to be self-reliant.
“The LABIF being launched today will bring the market closer to smallholder farmers and establish a strong relationship between the producers and off-takers.
“It will also reduce or eradicate seasonal glut of agricultural produce and products; and also empower the beneficiaries /smallholder farmers on decision-making as it affects sales of their produce and products.”