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Farmers assure of food sufficiency

Farmers assure of food sufficiency

By Kehinde Oluwatayo.

Farmers in Ondo state have allayed the fear of the people on the prediction that some northern states in the country will experience food crisis saying it will not have any multiplier effect on the state.

Food and Agriculture Organization FAO yesterday reported that 16 northern states in the country and the Federal Capital Territory will experience food and nutrition crisis between June and August with some states having stiffer ones in May.

It charged the government to address key drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition, including insecurity, conflict, poverty, inequality and constrained access to productive assets and decent employment

Speaking with The Hope, Chairman of Ondo State Agricultural Commodities’ Association OSACA, Mr Gbenga Obaweya assured that the state and even southwest generally will not be affected because of the deliberate policy of farmers aimed at ensuring food sufficiency in the zone in the last two years.

According to him, the challenge of herdsmen has propelled farmers in the zone to make a policy that would ensure food sufficiency and avoid relying on northern to feed the people.

“For us, we do not want to think that the issue of herdsmen is so or believe it so, it is as if there is a certain agenda to cripple us economically and to cripple our agriculture.

“So we have also taken deliberate step to ensure that we are working towards food sufficiency which will not let us depend on the north to feed our families and run our economy,” he stressed.

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Obaweya said further that farmers in the state are now going into commercial production of non conventional crops like tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, water melon among others which traditionally were not done in the state before.

“I myself, I have tried my hands on beans, two seasons to prove that we can do it and I can tell you that beans is not doing badly in the southwest”.

While saying that food crisis in the north will amount to blessing in disguise in southwest, he said the people will have no choice than to patronize the one produce in the zone.

He opined that farmers will do it on a larger scale when they are assured of ready market to meet the need of the people and boost their economy.

According to him, farmers have been going to see the dry season pilot farm on tomato done by the state ministry of agriculture and have been asking them to do it for them so that they can produce all year round.

While saying farmers in the state will rise up to meet the challenge of supplying enough food for the people, he however said it would be difficult without the support of the government.

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