Youths abandon Ooni’s farm

Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi

·         *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.