Ekiti returns to Awolowo’s farm settlement era to boost agric productivity

…as 930 engaged for bring back youths into agric scheme

Prompted by the mission to improve foods and agricultural productivity in order to ensure food security, Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has said his Administration will return the State to the farm settlement era experienced in the old Western Region under the leadership of the late Premier, Obafemi Awolowo.

The governor, who utilised the Independence Anniversary public holiday to undertake a visit to young farmers in three cluster areas in the State stated this during his visit to Ikere Farm Settlement. He also said construction work on ultra-modern dormitories at the farm settlements would commence within the next three weeks.

BusinessDay reports that about 930 youths are involved in the youth agriculture scheme known as “Bring Back Youth into Agriculture” being undertaken by the Ekiti State Government in collaboration with a private entity YSJ Farms.

Under the agricultural scheme, the Government provides land to the young farmers, assists them with land clearing and seedlings as well as agric extension services, among others. It also has an arrangement to buy their products for storage purposes.

The governor said he was determined to invest hugely in agriculture as a form of empowerment for the youths to ensure food security and to drive industrialization. He stressed that revamping the old farm settlement strategy of the late Awolowo was the only way to ensure the young farmers stay on the farms and maximise Government’s support for the scheme.

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Governor Oyebanji also made stopovers at some farms and took time to personally interact with farmers and asked of their needs, drawing the attention of Ebenezer Boluwade, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, to a prompt action needed to achieve improved agricultural productivity.

The governor noted that proposed dormitories for the young farmers would have facilities like sitting rooms, kitchens, security posts, sick bays, among others as part of State’s efforts to attract more young farmers into agribusiness and turn the State into a huge agriculture hub.

The three clusters visited by the governor and some officials included those in Eporo-Emure, Ikere and Aramoko-Erio where he monitored the young farmers who are participating in one of the agricultural initiatives of his administration “Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture.

Oyebanji also assured of the readiness of his administration to expedite action on other requests of the young farmers which include motorable roads, security at the locations and provision of vehicles and motorcycles to aid mobility of the participants.

Oyebanji who had earlier paid visits to Oke Ako, Iyemero and Igede Farm Settlements over the weekend, said it was unacceptable for the people of the State to be complaining of hunger and be queuing up for palliative materials when the State is blessed with arable land, stressing that a paradigm shift had just begun with his administration’s investment in agriculture.

He described agriculture as a lucrative business, noting that farmers are among the richest set of people in developed economies pointing out that the participating youths in particular and the state in general would reap bountiful harvest in agribusiness in the long run.

The governor assured the youths of security in all the clusters visited, adding that a massive security cordon has been woven around the locations which he said would be consolidated upon to eliminate all forms of criminality in the area.

He commended the Chief Executive Officer of YSJ Farms, Yemisi Joluwe, for partnering with his administration to take agriculture to a higher pedestal.

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Oyebanji explained that with the massive clearing of land for agricultural purposes carried out by his administration, the stage has been set for the resuscitation of farm settlements established during under the leadership of Awolowo to ensure mass production of food for location consumption, export and provision of job opportunities for the teeming youths.

“The land we are returning to now were last cleared by Chief Awolowo during his time as Premier in Western Region.

“This is the beginning of greater things that will happen in Ekiti State. Western Region was renowned for agriculture under Chief Awolowo and he developed Western Region without oil money and we had food surplus in those days. With what we are doing with our youths now, we are returning to the era of Awolowo’s farm settlements.

“In Ekiti State, only six local government chairmen have keyed into this initiative. I want to ask other local government chairmen that have not keyed into this project to do so. Within the next three weeks, construction of the dormitories will start. We now have more youths showing interest in the scheme, they will have that opportunity to join in the next stage once we get more land”, the governor added .

The Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado, who lauded the Governor’s vision to invest in agriculture pledged the support of his kingdom for the project and charged the youths of the town who are participants in the scheme to work hard and justify their inclusion.

In all the three locations visited by the governor, the participants including Margaret Basorun, Olu Okeya, Kolawole Ganiyu and Folasade Filani hailed the State Government and YSJ for giving them a platform for self development and to contribute to the State economy.