Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Jerry Uwangue, has said the recent field engagement was designed to interface with genuine farmers and eradicate the era of “political farmers.”

Speaking recently in Benin, he told Sunday PUNCH that the state government would conduct comprehensive farmer profiling and deepen inclusion within government-driven agricultural programmes.

Uwangue also noted that the engagement serves as a platform to communicate the policy direction of Governor Monday Okpebholo, while harvesting firsthand data on farmers’ realities to drive practical, data-backed interventions.

Recall that the commissioner and some key officers in the ministry toured key agrarian corridors, including Akoko-Edo, Etsako East, Etsako Central, Etsako West, Owan East, and Owan West regions in Edo North.

He urged farmers to key into the ongoing profiling exercise and embrace the cluster farming model, an integrated system designed to boost productivity and economies of scale.

Explaining further, he said the move is meant to reinforce the state government’s renewed commitment to grassroots agricultural transformation across the 18 local government areas.

He said, “We urge farmers to key into the ongoing profiling exercise and embrace the cluster farming model, an integrated system designed to boost productivity and economies of scale.

“Under this initiative, the government will facilitate land clearing, structured allocation of farmlands, provision of inputs and mechanisation services, irrigation support, and the establishment of security architecture to safeguard both farmers and agric investments.

“That is why we were on field engagement in Edo North recently to interface with genuine farmers and eradicate the era of ‘political farmers.’”

He said during an interactive session, farmers expressed appreciation for previous government interventions while drawing attention to persistent challenges such as poor market pricing, insecurity, and limited access to inputs.

According to him, many farmers described the engagement as unprecedented, stating that it was the first time they were witnessing a commissioner visit farmers across every local government, engage them directly, and take deliberate steps to ensure that interventions reach real farmers rather than being hijacked by politically connected individuals or opportunistic middlemen.

The commissioner also disclosed ongoing plans to establish modern storage and aggregation facilities across the three senatorial districts, aimed at reducing post-harvest losses and stabilising market prices.

He further revealed that strategic partnerships with verified off-takers are underway to guarantee structured market access, ensuring that farmers receive fair value for their produce.

He said that the farmer profiling initiative will serve as the foundation for aligning production with demand, strengthening value chains, and delivering targeted interventions that would reposition Edo State as a leading hub for sustainable agricultural productivity.