Osun allocates land to farmers

Oyo to boost food productionAS part of efforts to boost massive food production, Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola at the weekend visited Mokore Farm Settlement in Ayedaade local council of the state where he handed over allocation letters for 125 acres of land to 10 successful farmers, including a woman, Mrs. Janet Arabambi.In the same vein, the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has said that his administration was making strenuous efforts at ensuring food sustenance in all the nooks and crannies of the state, so as to bring about less dependence on imported foods.Besides, Aregbesola also waived a directive by the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, which mandated the farmers to pay N57,500 each to the coffers of government for rent and sundry charges on the land.Rather than pay the money into the treasury, the governor advised the farmers to use the funds to prepare and plant their crops before the end of therains and prepare for the coming season.He told the rural dwellers who turned out in large numbers to receive him to be assured of government support andfollowing an on-the-spot assessment information from an independent source, he directed that the plots be distributed to the farmers on equal basis.Addressing the farmers, Aregbesola blamed the backwardness of agriculture in the society on the incursion of military into governance.He noted that Nigeria currently spends about N600 billion yearly to import food when local production could be boosted by encouraging young farmers, adding that his administration is out to reverse the trend.He said from the packages and incentives, which his administration would be giving to the farmers, city dwellers would also be encouraged to participate in the scheme. He noted that 60 per cent of the programmes to be executed by his administration were targeted towards massive food production.In order to ginger the farmers to action on production of food crops, Aregbesola assured that his administration would help any farmer who could transport his produce to Dagbolu, a mini station created by the government in Osogbo for onward transfer to Lagos for sales.Ajimobi stated this yesterday during a special church service marking the World Food Day held at the Methodist Bishops' House, Molete in the state capital.According to him, as a first step, the government had finalised plans to introduce agricultural programmes in post-primary schools in the state, in order to encourage the youth to take active part in agriculture.
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