Ondo leads in Agriculture funding’ – IFAD
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has described Ondo State as the leading state in agricultural funding in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Programme Manager for IFAD, Miss Atsuko Toda stated this in Akure, the state capital during a visit to the Commissioner for Agriculture at the end of a working tour of the state.
NigerianEcho’s correspondent in Akure reports that IFAD’s boss was particularly delighted with the prompt and timely payment of the counterpart funding for the programme by the state 
government.
She said: “record shows that Ondo is the leading state among its peers, when it comes to commitment and support given to IFAD programmes.”
The Programme Manager added that aside funding, Ondo also stands out on issues of providing communities where the global body could carry out its projects.
She opined that the state has been using the jointly-sponsored programme in ways that boost areas where she has comparative advantage over others, such as fishing and provision of cocoa seedlings and herbicides.
Toda cited the Elemo Community in Ifedore Local Government Area as a typical example of where new technologies and practices, which are beneficial to the settlers have been introduced by the state government.
She remarked that such practices had given IFAD the hope that Ondo State would sustain the programme, which is aimed at helping the rural communities to get trained and take their fate in their own hands.
The Commissioner for Agriculture,
in his remarks said Ondo would continue to honour its M.O.U. with global bodies.
Olorunfemi said these organisations are out to assist the government to reduce poverty among the rural communities, hence they could not be toyed with.
He assured that government would continue to explore opportunities that are beneficial to the people of Ondo State, particularly in the rural areas.
