A group, Lead Culture Plus, in collaboration with Ikale TV Diary, has empowered no fewer than 200 farmers and food vendors in Okitpupa Local Government Area of Ondo State with N5 million to boost food production.
Convener of the group, Mr Balade Akinseloyin, while presenting the money to the beneficiaries at Stallamaris College, Okitipupa on Wednesday, said the project was to boost food production amidst the current food crisis.
Akinseloyin said that the project would also encourage Ikale indigenes to consume local food in order to preserve the community’s cultural heritage.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project was also aimed at protecting the cultural food heritage of Ikale community, such as yam, plantain, cassava and flours, among others.
NAN also reports that the farmers and food vendors, who received cash ranging from N20,000, N30,000 to N50,000, were urged to boost food production and prepare local food to ease the food crisis in the community and the state at large.
Akinseloyin assured that the programme would be sustained to encourage more indigent farmers and food vendors to plant and prepare local food.
“The programme, which will be sustained, is to encourage food vendors to prepare local food in order to discourage indigenes from relying on inter-continental ones,” he said.
Mr Babatinde Agbede, a farmer and beneficiary, told NAN that he was happy to be part of the programme, saying that the money received would be put to judicious use.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Florence Akintan, a food vendor, also said she would prioritise cooking of local food.
NAN reports that traditional rulers, including Oba Michael Adetoye-Obatuga, Jegun of Idepe-Okitipupa kingdom and Oba Oladele Fredrick-Akinmoye, Oyegberuwa of Erinje kingdom as well as traditional chiefs and many indigenes graced the occasion. (NAN
