Ondo farmers urge Akeredolu to prioritize agriculture

Farmers in Ondo state have called on the Governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to accord agriculture a rightful position in the incoming administration as it is the only way to ensure food security.

The Chairman of the Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association (OSACA), Pastor Akin Olotu who made the call in Akure, the state capital said “the farther we are away from the land, the greater our insecurity” adding that there must be good blueprint for the agric sector as it could create millions of self-sustaining jobs directly and indirectly every year.

He lamented that we are causing extinction of many species when we talk about bio-diversity (life on earth) while the sea level have risen due to thermal expansion and it’s continuous.

According to him, some species of yam that existed some years ago and some other crops have since disappeared.

He also warned that the desert is travelling down south in Nigeria at an alarming rate of 600 metres per year.

“As a nation, a state and stakeholders in the agric sector which is the bedrock of life something must be done,” Olotu said.

He said further: “Meeting the nutritional needs of our people in an economy that is in recession, the climate that has become increasingly unfriendly with the extremes of drought and food coupled with irregular rainfall pattern, is an uphill task”

“It is indeed a daunting task that requires a new in-depth analysis and intervention, suggesting the concept of ‘FARM-ACY ‘rather than the pharmacy that we used to know.”

However, he said as a matter of urgency, everything about agriculture need a review especially in the areas of neglect.

These, according to him, include improvement in deplorable conditions of farm roads, power supply, security, research and technology for better yields and a law to determine cattle grazing.