In line with its commitment to alleviate poverty among smallholder farmers across rural communities in the country, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) recently supplied agricultural support materials to farmers in Oyo State under the second cycle of BATNF-sponsored cassava enterprise value-chain development project.
Chief Kola Jamodu, BATNF Board Chairman, who was represented by Mrs. Oluwaseyi Ashade, Executive Director, BATNF, at the flag-off ceremony held in Otu Community area of Oyo State, said agriculture is significant to poverty eradication and wealth creation.
She said, “There is need to provide necessary requirements for the development of the agricultural sector like trainings, improved agricultural inputs, production capital, storage facilities and access to markets.” This need, Ashade said, has posed a challenge to governments at all levels. Several farming communities in Nigeria are affected by these challenges and this contributes in no small measure to the problem of poverty, hunger and other economic challenges.
“The enormity of these problems is such that governments alone cannot solve them. There is need for the organised private sector and other charitable institutions to come to the aid of the government to address this important issue of agricultural development especially as it affects smallholder farmers who are key players in the sector and who are responsible for the production of a great percentage of the food consumed in the country,” She further said.
Receiving the agricultural materials from the Foundation, Alhaji Muda Balogun, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed his gratitude to the Foundation for coming to the aid of the farmers.
His words, “We like to thank the management of BATN Foundation for coming to our aid, especially at a time when we need to move our farming business to a greater level. As we can see, all the farmers from Otu and Ighoho communities of Oke Ogun are excited because the Foundation has brought succour to us all by making farming simpler, better and more profitable”
“I also want to urge my fellow benefiting farmers to take good advantage of this intervention, by ensuring that they are accountable, hard-working, and most importantly continue to see farming as a profitable business. In so doing, this will serve as a motivation for BATN Foundation, and other would-be sponsors to further elevate farming business in our communities,” he said.
Thomas Omosefe, Head of Leaf, BATNF, while speaking at the event said all the farmers, as part of the Foundation’s major partners, should leave no stone unturned in ensuring that they (farmers) make the best use of the opportunity.
He said, “As our major partners, we will continue to ensure compliance with best practices that will enable success for farmers in their operations. Most importantly, we will support your business through periodic trainings, input distribution among others, to pave way for transformation of your business in a way that will impact bottom-line for farming operations”
The event is the second flag-off of BATN Foundation’s cassava enterprise development projects across Otu, Ogbooro and Igboho in Oke Ogun, Oyo State, to help smallholder farmers easily transform their farming operations from subsistence to commercial level. Other states that have benefitted from this agricultural intervention include: Ebonyi, Nigeria, Kaduna and Benue states.
