By Ruth Momodu BENIN CITY — The Edo State Government has intensified efforts to strengthen food security by urging farmers to take part in its ongoing registration and profiling exercise across the state.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Jerry Nwangue, made the appeal during an awareness and interactive tour of five local government areas in Edo Central Senatorial District.
He explained that the initiative is aimed at identifying genuine farmers and ensuring they benefit directly from government agricultural programmes and interventions.
Nwangue said comprehensive data collection would enable the government to plan effectively and deliver targeted support, including access to farm inputs, funding opportunities and productivity-enhancing incentives.
“This registration exercise is critical. We need accurate information on who the farmers are, their locations and what they produce.
Without reliable data, effective planning and support become difficult,” he said.
The commissioner also encouraged farmers to embrace communal farming, revealing that the government is clearing large expanses of land to support the initiative.
He called on communities to make land available, assuring them that authorities would handle the clearing to prepare it for cultivation.
According to him, communal farming would boost food production, reduce individual costs and improve access to mechanised farming methods through shared resources.
“We are promoting communal farming as a way to scale up production. Once communities identify suitable land, the government will step in to clear it for large-scale use,” he added.
Farmers who participated in the engagement commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for introducing the programme, describing it as a positive step for the agricultural sector.
However, they raised concerns over persistent challenges such as insecurity, limited access to finance and poor road infrastructure, which they said continue to hinder productivity.
Responding, Nwangue assured that the government is committed to tackling the challenges and improving conditions for farmers.
He noted that the registration initiative was conceived by Governor Okpebholo as part of broader efforts to reposition agriculture and ensure sustainable food production in the state.
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