Osun govt. to provide farmers with agro-chemicals

The Osun Government has promised to assist farmers in the state with all necessary agro-chemicals and farm inputs to boost their productivity.

Dr Yemi Adegoke, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Osun State Produce Board, made the promise on Monday at a stakeholders’ meeting with cocoa farmers and merchants in Osogbo.

He said that the produce board would place order for the supply of high-quality agro-chemicals and farm inputs, including implements, and sell them to farmers at subsidised rates to improve their production.

He said that the produce board was established to increase farmers’ income via improved productivity and ensure massive food production in the state.

Adegoke said that the board had been linking farmers with available markets to facilitate the sale of their produce and enable them to make more profits without any hitches.

He, however, said that cocoa grading and haulage could not solely boost cocoa production, adding that this could be achieved through the provision of high-yield improved seedlings.

Besides, Adegoke advised cocoa merchants to cooperate with the produce board so as to forestall illegal cocoa trades in the state.

He appealed to cocoa farmers to use the cocoa branding bags, introduced by the board, for cocoa grading and export purposes.

The representatives of Cocoa Farmers Association, event, Chief Bola Otunla and Alhaji Raji Opejin, expressed satisfaction with the state government’s policy.

They said that the establishment of the produce board and the introduction of cocoa branding bags would alleviate the challenges facing cocoa farmers in the state.

They called for the establishment of standard cocoa processing companies in the country, saying that pragmatic efforts should be made to discourage the exportation of cocoa for processing abroad.