By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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The Senior Special Assistant to Ondo State Governor, on Agriculture and Agribussiness, Mr Akin Olotu has assured that provision will be made this year for the empowerment of over 6000 trained youths .
He said this in his office in a chat with The Hope while revivewing this year’s budget presented by the governor recently.
Olotu who said that the budget will bring rapid progress and advancement particularly in the agricultural sector stressed that provision will be made for the youth so that they can begin to function adequately.
According to him, the youth have been trained in different agricultural endeavours and different levels of the value chain.
Some according to him will produce, some will process, some will go into marketing while others will go into agro-in put selling.
Olotu equally disclosed that some agro allied industries will spring up in the state in the new year.
He added that government is committed to promoting tree crops development in the state in the new year saying it is the future of the state economy and the state has a very strong comparative advantage in it.
“People are complaining about dwindling revenue from fossil fuel. We need an alternative and we believe that the state has a very strong comparative advantage in tree crops, oil palm, cocoa, cashew.
“We laid some foundations last year which we are going to build on rapidly this year. Hopefully, the egg powder factory should take off this year.
“We are looking at six hectares green house in the state in partnership with a company coming from Holland.
We are looking at beef and dairy cattle project in the state,” he said.
While saying that the budget will be huge and positively impactful, Olotu said that jobs will be created, raw materials will be produced and money will flow into the state.
He charged the people to persevere as the governor is trying to re – engineer the state.
He also called on them to learn how to create wealth adding that the era of oil boom is almost gone.