Re: Setting the stage for food sufficiency in Oyo state – Between grammar and action by Sola ABEGUNDE
Sola Abegunde is a national affairs commentator. Views expressed in this piece are his.
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If it takes a mad man ten years to rehearse his insanity, when exactly will he enter the market square in full blown madness? (Bi a ba fi odun mewa pile were, igba wo ni were fee ja oja?)
The Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun has demonstrated how not to talk about food sufficiency alone without putting words into concrete action. Ogun state has joined the list of rice-producing states, just like Lagos state.
Governor Dapo Abiodun has recently flagged off the harvest of a 200 hectares of plantation located at Mogbare Rice Farm in Obafemi Owode local government area of the state.
The farm is a brainchild of the Ogun state Economic Transformation Project supported by the World Bank and is aimed at driving economic growth and development in the state.
The farmers who were allocated spaces on the farm are said to be mainly women and youths from all parts of the country, not from Zimbabwe, Morocco, Botswana, France or any foreign country.
Each of the farmers was allocated one hectare of farmland, totaling 200 farmers in the cluster.
The allocations were done in April and planting commenced in May according to reports and within three months, harvesting was done.
The farm is targeted to yield seven metric tons per hectare, translating to 1,400 metric tons for 200 hectares of milled rice with an efficiency yield of about 70 percent which would translate to 20,000 bags of milled rice per cycle.
20,000 bags of milled rice per cycle is expected to cost about a billion Naira.
In effect, within three months, the 200 women and youths have made a revenue of a billion Naira!
The farm covers 12,500 hectares and Governor Abiodun has promised to immediately scale up cultivation from 200 to 2,000 hectares.
The Ogun state governor is presently beating his chest, boasting of the capabilities to be able to feed the rest of us soon.
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Who would blame him?
I read the piece by Governor Makinde’s Chief Press Secretary, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, where he was equally boasting that his boss was ”setting the stage for food sufficiency” and I laughed my heart out.
Oro buruku toun teerin! An unfortunate but yet, a funny scenario.
Someone was setting the stage when his peers have already taken over the stage, stealing the shows.
Those who felt some of us just take delight in castigating Governor Makinde for his cosmetic approach to important issues should just compare and contrast what is happening in Ogun state to what we have here in Oyo state and be honest with himself.
I have decided not to worry myself about the nauseating repetitions and semantics contained in Olanrewaju’s write up, but I will like to draw an inference from the statement where he said some small holder farmers are being trained and empowered to farm in Fashola.
He put the number of the farmers at 2,347 farming on 9, 315 acres of farm land.
He talked about subsidies granted these farmers on the cost of ploughing.
He talked about a particular App which the Ministry of Agriculture is using to monitor activities.
We are in August and we are still blowing grammar about how we are setting a stage for food sufficiency.
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We should be talking of harvests as at now.
The project in Ogun state started in April. Look at what it has yielded.
20, 000 bags of rice and a revenue of a billion Naira which could be seen with naked eyes.
This feat was achieved without funfare. No announcement and celebration of the governor spending Christmas or holidays at Obafemi Owode.
No wastage of resources on a documentary. In fact, hardly could you hear that such a big project was going on in Ogun state.
The governor concentrated on his set goals, worked for it and waited for the results to speak for him.
I think Governor Makinde should humble himself and go learn one or two tricks from his Ogun and Lagos states counterparts.
We have more arable land mass than Ogun state. Lagos state got none. Yet, they have more concrete results than Oyo in terms of food production.
We have been so much fixated on agri-business and I say it without equivocation that it is a wrong priority in the face of the current challenges.
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Perhaps, when we begin to beg to buy rice at cheaper rates from Ogun state, Governor Makinde will see the need to concentrate on agriculture and the massive empowerment of local farmers.
We are talking grammar in Oyo state. Ogun is currently eyeing thousands of hectares of rice plantation.having succeeded in cultivating 200.
Governor Abiodun has brought 20, 000 bags of rice to the table for his people in three months.
How long will it take for Governor Makinde to bring a mudu of rice?
I think it is high time the governor changed his mind on his intent of bringing foreigners to take over whatever remains of our farm settlements.
Government’s direct involvement in farming and the massive empowerment of local farmers is key to food sufficiency and economic growth.
All this ” a yan gbe aja” policies will bring nothing to the table.
