Osun QIIP Supports Cooperative Fish Farmers and Vegetable Farmers

[Defender]

A. IPETU-ILE FISH FARMERS' MULTIPURPOSE COOPERATIVE UNION

Ipetu-Ile fish farmers' cooperative union has been given support under Quick Impact Intervention Programme (QIIP) of the state to develop their farms to a 30 tonne/annum capacity. The cooperative society will also be provided with essential extension services to boost its productivity, expansion and sustainability.

The fish farm project also include the establishment of a floating fish feed plant, the first of its kind in the history of Osun State. This project is a pilot community-owned and community-driven enterprise located in Ipetu-Ile. It is a support project which is aimed to be replicated in the State after using this pilot project to negotiate the learning curves.

B. GBODOFON (OSOGBO) OSUN STATE CUCUMBER, WATERMELON AND SALAD FARMERS' MULTIPURPOSE COOPERATIVE SOCIETY LTD.

Also, the  vegetable farming support  for this group located in Ode-Omu is  a unique add-on to the QIIP stable as the farming capacity of this vegetable farmers' cooperative will be increased via this support. The initial support is for a 25 acre-additional farmland to the present 8-acre capacity of the group. For several years, the group has been engaged in the cultivation of Tomatoes, Watermelons, and Cucumbers.

Additional support is also being provided for the group in ground-breaking irrigating facilities for 3 acres out of the 25 acres additional farm. The objective here is to enable these vegetable farmers plant in both dry and rainy season. In addition, this other support for the irrigation component will make the farmers to master the irrigation system and later on increase their skills and capacities to irrigate all their farms.

C. THE QIIP PROGRAMME

QIIP is now working with and supporting 70 farmers' cooperative groups located across the State and engaged in the production of diverse agricultural products spanning over 3000 acres of cultivated lands. QIIP leverages on the available wide pool of skills, knowledge, and other pertinent resources available in the State Government employ with the credit expertise available in the financing institutions including insurance from Nigeria Agriculture Insurance Cooperation to channel appropriate support to farmers on a continuous basis via cooperative groupings.

The experience garnered from these pilot projects is to strengthen the capacity of all the parties involved for a better and greater delivery of services and boost agricultural outputs on a sustainable basis in Osun State. An independent monitoring and evaluation exercise (Process and Impact assessment) is being conducted along with the execution of QIIP by external consultants.

Further Action Steps:

Next on the line of action for QIIP is a comprehensive market linkage studies and its tie-in to the expected increase in agricultural outputs and value chain enhancements. 

Osun Defender