By Victor Ogunyinka
its bid to encourage more agricultural practice in the state, the
Department of Aquaculture and Fishery, University of Ibadan, in
partnership with the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme
(WAAPP) and Oyo State Agricultural Development Programme (OYSADEP),
distributed 80,000 fingerlings to fish farmers in the four geopolitical
zones of the state.
The Head of Department of Aquaculture and Fishery, Professor Bamidele
Omitoyin explained that the programme was aimed at encouraging fish
farmers to have good productivity in their business. He added that “the
first phase of the programme was entrepreneurship training and the
second area is fish seed production. “The first area has been concluded
late last year, I want to appreciate WAAPP for having faith in the
institution and the ADP that has worked tirelessly within the department
and I want to appreciate our good farmers that have so much believed
and supported us in this project.”
The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Professor
Eustace Iyayi, representing the Vice Chancellor of the institution,
Professor Abel Olayinka, noted that the programme wouldn’t have come at a
better time than when crude oil is failing the country and majority is
looking at agriculture to rescue the economy, adding that the
distribution would yield productivity for the farmers and increase
protein in the country.
“The vice chancellor is excited about this initiative, I would like
to put on record that the department of aquaculture is one of the
flagship departments we have in the faculty; it is gradually gaining
international prominence and it is one of the best in Africa.
“We are grateful to all our colleagues who have made this project
come to fruition and we have started receiving testimonies from
different parts of the country from the series of training held last
year.
“We know that WAAPP partnering with us is a good development because
we know that whatever we do here is to increase food production in our
country.
“It is with that confident we also believe that this second phase
will also yield something very beneficial for our people and for protein
production for our country,” he said.
The Chairperson, Oyo State Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria,
Mrs Awoyemi kolade said, “I feel excited and I feel very happy about it.
It is going to benefit us a lot because we are taking these fingerlings
free of charge, it is going to increase our production and our members
are very grateful for it.
The distribution cut across the small and large scale farmers and our
association is a blend of the youth, elderly men and women. About
20,000 fingerlings were given to our group, because we are so many, we
decided to make it 500 per farmer so that it can cut across 40 farmers.”