Cashew: FG, Ooni of Ife Partner on 20 hectares production

 National President Cashew Association of Nigeria, Mr. Tola Faseru, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, and The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, 

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The passionate spirit of the present administration of President Mohammed Buhari using agriculture to reposition the nation’s economy through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) towards employment creation received a support from the Oni of Ife as about 20 hectares of land was provided by His Royal Majesty Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi to embark on production of cashew for employment of youths just as stakeholders have commended this laudable gesture saying it was going to enhance productivity of the crop in the country.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, alongside the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the National President Cashew Association of Nigeria, Mr. Tola Faseru have jointly conducted official inauguration of a cashew plantation with 2,000  seedlings provided by the Federal government to kick start the 2016  planting season the crop  at Ogudu Ile-Ife,  State of Osun, Nigeria.

Currently Nigeria’s production is estimated at 175,000mt on 100,000ha, providing livelihood for over 300,000 families, generated about $253 million thereby assuming the 2^nd non-oil export foreign exchange earner for Nigeria as it was hoped that this additional 20 hectares would enhance the federal government expansion programme of the crop for the next four. 

Through the spirited effort of His Royal Majesty, the State of Osun was the first among others to show interest in the cashew expansion programme of the FMARD targeted at achieving increased productivity of this cash crop towards increasing  our Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) as it was hoped that about twenty states are expected in the production across the nation.

Chief Ogbeh Ogbeh, while addressing the stakeholders revealed that the Federal Government wished to do the same across the country but pointed that Osun was the first to key into the four years cashew development initiative saying it would be followed with cocoa and banana plantations across the producing states of the federation.  

The minister added that youths will be the beneficiaries of the laudable agricultural programmes of the FG, stressing that the time has come to empower the youths and overcome the challenge of unemployment in the nation. “I Chief AuduOgbe, Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has initiated the Cashew Value Chain Expansion Programme. This program will among others support and promote the introduction of a high yielding, early maturing and disease resistant Brazilian jumbo and Indian variety cashew seeds capable of raising production from 175,000mt in 2016 to 250,000mt in 2020 with yield enhancement from 450kg/ha to 600kg/ha with 2million Cashew stand each for the next 4 years beginning from 2016.Under this programme a number of projects are under way towards sustaining the development in the cashew sub-sector “.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi described the flag off as a new dawn for the youths empowerment saying  that 2,000 hectares of land has been dedicated to cashew plantation for increased production, marketing and processing as more attention would be given for agriculture towards the creation of employment for the teaming youths.

Oba Ogunwusi noted that “as soon as people start showing interest in farming, more land will be released for the pur­pose under his reign.The ongoing massive planting of cashew in the state was no doubt the beginning of agricultural revolu­tion in the country. Agriculture remains the largest employer of labor in the world”

Governor Aregbesola applauded the programme as he urged the federal government to remember the state in the subsequent programme pointing there were enough lands for farming in the state thereby thanking the Ooni of Ife for bringing the FG down to Ogudu while he stated he would be ready to partners with any investors in the area of agricultural development in the state.

The governor described cashew as a cash and health-promot­ing crop thereby admonished the youths to key into the federal government cashew expansion initiative and other agricultural programmes so as to forestall hunger in the future just as he stressed the need for more involvement of everybody in agriculture.

Also the National President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria, Mr. Babatola Faseru, who presented to His Highness the Award of the Royal Grand Patron of the Association as he pointed it was an honor that Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi merited as a cashew farmer saying his gesture was an encouragement towards building the future of the crop with more foreign exchange earnings.

He added that “Ooni took to cashew farming so as to create jobs and make Osun the leading cashew powerhouse in Nigeria and worldwide, create diverse opportunities for other businesses to flourish. Cashew plantation establishment is labor intensive, and starting one has multiplier effect to create diverse opportunities for other ancillary businesses to flourish. This will stimulate economic activities in rural areas, encourage urban to rural migration as people will go to where the money is and help diversify the nation’s economy”

 Mr. Faseru stressed that the association is proud of the giant step taken by the Ooni of Ife in establishing a cashew plantation as he urged more well-meaning Nigerians to same  adding that “cashew is money making, health promoting, soil-conserving and environment friendly crop”