Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi |
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*Leader defends, suggests early
harvest crop
The dream of
Ooni of Ife for youths empowerment in the production of cashew, which was kick started
when about 20 hectares land mass was cleared by the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development around middle of last year may have been
dashed as weeds have already taken over the whole place because of abandonment just
as a youth leader made case for his members
This was revealed during the Cropping REFILS at IAR&T,
Ibadan where a representative of the Minister of Agriculture, Mrs. Doyin Awe
pointed out that the Southwest region had not properly harnessed the opportunity
offered by the Federal Government to develop the sector for commercial purposes
to create jobs and wealth saying states must be ready to partner with FMARD in
area of releasing their lands so as to enjoy clearing intervention.
Mrs. Awe who lamented the abandoning of the 20 hectare cashew
land the Ministry had cleared since last year in partnership with State of Osun
through the initiative of the Ooni of Ife, said the land was yet to be taken
over by the youths asking, “how can this kind of attitude be related to
unemployment challenges when people are not ready to harness government
intervention programme in the region to create job and wealth for themselves.”
Food Farm News was
among the media that covered the cashew land clearing event by the FMARD at
Ogudu, Ile Ife, state of Osun where the Ooni , Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the
Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the Governor Ogbeni Rauf
Aregbesola with other stakeholders were in attendance as about 2,000 cashew
seedlings were given by the FG to kick start the plantation by the youths.
Those who spoke with us were not happy about the youths’
attitude which they condemned, and advised they must seize opportunities in
agricultural activities in order to be able to enjoy more government
intervention in many other areas.
However, the Karoojiire Youth Empowerment Initiatives leader,
Prince Onikeke Kazeem disagreed with the notion that the youth were not ready
to work saying that the youths were ready to harness opportunity in farming as
he pointed out that the Ife abandonment was a reflection of error in the crop
selection explaining that a 90-day harvestable crop should have be planted to
give quick returns before going into cashew plantation.
He said that the crops selected for initial planting would
have been vegetable, pepper and maize that are quick to harvest to bring
dividend or alternatively the government should have made provision for these
youths pending the harvest time as way of encouragement into farming adding that
it should be understood that farming is contending with many other professions
that bring quick returns.
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