Osun State Government, on Tuesday, distributed 100,000 cocoa seedlings to about 1,000 farmers in the state.
The state government also distributed agro-chemicals, hand-spraying tools, limes, and other inputs to farmers across the local government areas of the state.
The government also inaugurated Osun Broilers Out-growers Production Scheme III (OBOPS) to enhance the capacity of livestock production and turn around the fortune of the scheme to be more profitable and attractive to farmers.
Farmers in each local government area got 1,500 cocoa seedlings as priority was given to the cocoa-producing local government areas of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola said the government efforts were aimed at actualising its set objectives to reposition agriculture and make Osun the food basket of the nation and the Southwest in particular.
Distributing the farm inputs freely to farmers at the Agriculture Demonstration Centre, Aisu, in Ede South Local Government Area of the State, Governor Oyetola noted that the initiative was aimed at actualising the agricultural revolution agenda of the government.
He said the government was committed to turning Osun into the food hub of the Southwest, as policies had been tailored towards ensuring adequate availability of fertile land, good roads, relatively good rainfall pattern, and above all, to ensure peaceful coexistence between the herdsmen and the farmers.
“I would like to remind this gathering of my inaugural speech where I promised that our administration would consolidate on the Agricultural Land Expansion Programme for the establishment of additional farm settlements.
“It is my pleasure to inform you that we have approved the establishment of 10,000 hectares of farmland to be used as a farm settlement at F3 in Ife-South Local Government in which 400 hectares of the farmland have been cleared to empower 1,000 youths in the cultivation of arable crops. Also, 23 hectares of farmland have been cleared at Ifon, in Orolu Local Government as a demonstration site for youths and women empowerment and agro-processing centres.
“To fulfill our electioneering promises in the agricultural sector, the government has embarked on a number of projects aimed at enhancing the economic base of the state and that of the farmers, especially the tree crop unit of the ministry, which is distributing cocoa seedlings freely.
“Also, the state government established a demonstration site at AISU, Ede, where greenhouse, with irrigation facilities, has been installed for all-year-round tomato production, construction of fish ponds, and milk collection centre to demonstrate good agricultural practices.
“Furthermore, the Extension Services delivery arm of the Osun State Agricultural Development Programme (OSSADEP) has been fortified to avail our farmers of new and improved up-to-date farming practices, while the Osun State Agricultural Development Corporation (OSSADEC) and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have been repositioned with the procurement of new tractors and its implements.
