The Kwara State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Oloruntoyosi Thomas, has urged residents to use available space in their houses for gardening as a realistic approach to combat urgent hunger and the country’s rising food costs.

Speaking to reporters in her office in Ilorin, Kwara State Capital, on Tuesday, 11 June 2024, Mrs. Thomas, noted that the State Government is implementing the scheme across the sixteen Local Government’s, emphasized the importance of utilizing small spaces in homes to plant vegetables and other crops, thereby supplementing household nutrition with a diverse range of plants.

The Commissioner stated that the Kwara State Government, seeing the significance of this initiative, has launched a backyard farming program to encourage residents to start their own gardens.The State Government has begun the project by providing seedlings to 50 households in each of the sixteen Local Government’s until every household is covered.

“We have strategic plans in place and have begun implementing them by training at least 50 households in each of the 16 Local Government’s on how to effectively engage in backyard farming. Additionally, we are providing seeds to these households to kick-start their farming activities immediately after training,” added Mrs. Thomas. She also stressed that backyard farming greatly tackles food insecurity and effectively acts as an alternative to addressing the market’s escalating food costs.

The Commissioner emphasized that backyard gardening, also known as homestead farming, is a practical and sustainable solution to food scarcity and high food prices. “If many households engage in this type of farming, we will see an abundant supply of food, which in turn will reduce prices and tackle hunger,” she said.

According to her, this Agricultural approach not only assures a better and more diverse food supply, but it also contributes to a safer environment.

The Commissioner, who highlighted that response from previously trained households has been overwhelmingly positive, emphasized that “we must collectively act now, not just with our brains but also with our hands, to mitigate the impact of food shortages and hunger. During this period of high food costs, it is crucial for households to make judicious use of their small spaces for gardens,” she explained.

The Commissioner further said that backyard farming is a strategic intervention that meets both urgent and long-term food demands. “By encouraging backyard farming, we are not only solving the problem of food insecurity today but also laying a foundation for a more sustainable and self-sufficient future,” she said.

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