Food Security: Adeosun inaugurates AGRO 15 Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society

Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun yesterday inaugurated Agro 15 Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society at the Ministry in line with the Federal Government’s determination to promote food security in the country.
Commissioning the Society’s Mini-Shop at the Ministry, Adeosun described the initiative as a noble course which should be supported.
The Minister who was represented by the Director, in the Ministry, Mr Gbenga Ajanaku pledged the total support of the Ministry to the aims and objectives of the initiative.
She said, with the government focus on agriculture, initiative such as the Agro 15 should be encouraged to ensure savings, wealth creation and food availability at low cost.
She enjoined the members to actively embrace the initiative.
Speaking in her Opening Remarks, the President, Agro 15 MCS, Mrs Bello Adeneke said, the Agro 15 initiative was in compliance with the federal government’s policy on diversification from oil based economy to agricultural base, therefore, came together as a body by pulling resources together to ensure that the vision of Agro 15. MCS is achieved in line with the policy of the federal government.
She said: “Agro. 15 MCS was established with the registration No 25042. And our members cuts across civil servants, military, paramilitary as well as business men and women who have passion for agriculture.
“Our aims and objectives amongst others are: to encourage savings among members; creation of wealth; ensure 5% contribution to the G. D. P of Nigerian economy; encourage members to produce a high quality products; making food available for all at the lowest cost and life after retirement by ensuring that our retired members are fully engaged in commercial farming anf agro processing which include poultry farming, fish farming and others.
“Our areas of operations include poultry farming, fishery farming, agricultural cultivation, empowerment of individual members through soft loans to enable them actualise their dreams, creation of employment for Agro 15 MCS retirees who desires to work on our farms.”
Rolling out the Co-operative’s achievement since inception, she said: ”cultivation of the following: maize on 25 hectres, beans on 30 hectres, rice on 5 hectres of land, yam and melon; acquisition of 30 plots of land for Agro housing Estate; Mini Poultry for production of Agro 15 MCS Chicken; Processing of Agro 15 MCS special rice in collaboration Grass Root Farmers Initiative of Nigeria snd employment of retirees in Agro 15 MCS farm and shop.”
She said, “the establishment of Agro 15 MCS shop came up to enable us create market for our produce and also encourage our members and the entire staff to have access to some of the agricultural products from the farm at the lowest cost.
“It is our hope that the Federal Government will assist the cooperative to actualise her vision by providing soft loan through the financial institutions, this will in turn enable this administration to achieve the objectives of diversification of our economy from oil base to agricultural base economy.”