500 farmers band for cooperative, irrigation farming – ‘We want to make Ogbomoso food basket’
Jeremiah OYELEKE
About 500 farmers hav TVe come together in Ogbomoso zone of Oyo state to work cooperatively to achieve food sufficiency.
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“Our purpose is to achieve food sufficiency towards making Ogbomoso zone a food basket. We can achieve it if we work together and with purpose,” Prince Aderemi Olude, the embattled chairman of Ogbomoso Parapo Home Zone said while speaking with ogbomosoinsightonline.com after a meeting of the group held in the Ogbomoso Palace Tuesday.
Corroborating the assertion, Comrade Olalere Fabode chairman of the farmers’ group under whose banner the initiative is being driven said, during the meeting, “We shouldn’t suffer lack of food in this zone in view of the abundant agricultural resources we are blessed with. So, we want to produce surplus food for our consumption and sale beyond Ogbomoso. It is a vision conceived to revamp Ogbomoso economy.”
Operating under the banner of Egbe Omo Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye, the group, Great United Ogbomoso Farmers Association Parapo, which is almost through with its registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has three trustees including Comrade Olalere Fabode (chairman), Adegboyega Olatunde (secretary) and Olalere Adigun.
Its modus operandi is to secure farming lands across the five local governments for onward allocation to its registered members which now number about 500.
“Our traditional rulers and some individuals have been cooperating,” Comrade Fabode said. “We thank Alajaawa of Ajaawa Oba Thompson Oyetunji Adeyeye, Iba Abogunde, Iba Iyaoje, Onikere of Kere and some other traditional rulers. Senator Ayoade Adeseun has also given us land at Eleeru and Onipaanu in Surulere local government area. The problem is that some of these lands have issues and that’s why we have not taken off fully, we don’t want a situation where we would start cultivating the land and we would be driven out. Nonetheless some of our members have started cultivation and are already harvesting.”
He added that they had liased with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Abuja and that they had promised the necessary support.
The farmers had received various training on cultivation of various crops such as vegetables, upland rice etc as well as livestock production.
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Mrs. Adeoye Funmilayo one of the members also said, “Many women belong to the association. If you see us in the farm you will commend us. We have received training in vegetables production, irrigation farming and organic farming. It is a very good initiative.”
Prince Olude informed the Soun of Ogbomosoland His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III is the grand patron of the association.
Теплоизоляционные+услуги
The initiative by the Great United Ogbomoso Farmers Association Parapo is commendable. It’s inspiring to see 500 farmers coming together to achieve food sufficiency in Ogbomoso. The vision to make Ogbomoso a food basket is not only ambitious but necessary given the current global food challenges. However, it’s concerning that some of the lands provided have issues, which might delay the project. How do the farmers plan to resolve these land disputes to ensure smooth operations? The support from traditional rulers and individuals is a positive sign, but more collaboration with the government might be needed to address these challenges effectively. I wonder, what specific crops are they focusing on for the surplus production? This initiative has the potential to significantly boost the local economy and reduce food scarcity in the region.
It’s great that they’re thinking beyond just local consumption, aiming to sell surplus food outside Ogbomoso. But how do they plan to ensure the sustainability of this project in the long term?