Dr Olayide Adelami, Ondo state deputy governor, has revealed that the reforms embarked upon by the state government in the agricultural sector in the last few months have started producing positive results.
Adelami made this disclosure while delivering remarks at the inauguration and swearing-in of the new executive members of Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association (OSACA), held in Akure on Tuesday.
In a statement signed by his spokesperson, John Paul Akinduri, the Deputy Governor commended the governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for his tireless effort at ensuring that food is produced locally and in abundance.
“It is worthy of commendation that Governor Aiyedatiwa has initiated and delivered several novel agricultural programmes, projects and policies, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
“Recently, the state government distributed 1,200 metric tonnes of grains as palliatives to farmers in the state to address the cost of food prices and I am sure your organization (OSACA) did benefit from this gesture. This development immediately crashed the price of a crate of eggs in the market” Adelami said.
While restating the commitment of the state government to food sufficiency, the deputy governor charged the new leadership of OSACA to continue to work with relevant stakeholders and support the agenda of the state government on food security and agricultural transformation.
The newly sworn-in chairman of OSACA, Chief Abiodun Adejo, thanked the state government for establishing the association in 2015 “as a united front for farmers to access needed government and foreign assistance”
He further said “we are aware of the interest of this present government in sincerely developing agriculture and seeing to the plight of indigenous farmers in the state. We salute Governor Aiyedatiwa for setting up the Agric/Food Security Committee in the state and we are ready to work with them”
On her part, the Vice Chairman (Female) of the association, Mrs Taiye Afilaka, said the new leadership will reposition the organization to ensure women farmers, especially those at the grassroots, have access to soft loans, machineries, improved and subsidized seedlings that will lead to increased food production.
In her goodwill message, former chairman of Ondo state Wealth Creation Agency (WECA), Mrs Bolanle Olafunmiloye, expressed satisfaction over the synergy between various farmer’s associations in the state.
Southwest chairman of Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria, Rev Gideon Oluleye, commended Ondo state government for paying attention to agriculture, saying the association has benefitted immensely from the government.
