Ibadan, June 17, 2023: The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Oyo State chapter has expressed readiness to partner with the State government in addressing various challenges facing grassroots farmers in the state.
The Oyo State Chairman of the association, Mr John Olateru, who led other representatives of the association disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the resident of the governor at Ikolaba area in Ibadan on Saturday.
Olateru said the essence of the visit was to identify with the government and to get the government to know that there were some farmers that are grassroots farmers.
He said the government had been doing various notable projects in the agricultural sector, worthy of commendation as their impacts could not be disputed at all.
“But there are some areas where we are just pleading to him and his government to please to help us look into the grassroots farmers.
“We appreciate our children that are being trained, we appreciate what the agri-businesses are doing, bringing the multinationals to come, but what happen to the farmers that are feeding us; that is where there is a missing link.
“Those of us that you are seeing today are here to remind the governor that we are here for him and we are ready to partner with him and provide more than enough food for the state and outside the state,” Olateru said.
According to him, the livestock industry is dying and there is no respite in sight we only need to wake up and solve it.
Also, the Oyo State Secretary of AFAN, Mr Adewunmi Abass said the visit was to create a partnership that would translate to better agricultural development and food security for the state.
Abass said “We are also here for all that the governor has been doing for the farmers since his inception as the governor of Oyo State. We also want to give him some hints about some problems that we are facing as farmers in Oyo State and the way out.
“We want to discuss how Oyo State will be a bedrock of farming activities in the whole southwest and in Nigeria as a whole, thereby bringing back the lost glory of the region without any challenges.”
Responding on behalf of Makinde, Mr Babalola Abiodun from Ibadan North East Constituency said the governor had a great interest in agriculture and would look into addressing the issues concerning the AFAN and its members.
Others who received AFAN members on behalf of the governor were Mrs Ramota Aderemi from Lagelu/ Akinyele Constituency, Mrs Oluwakemi Bello, National Ex-Officio, Abuja, Mr Babatunde Martins, PDP Youth leader among others.
