By Fatima Muraina

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Determined to ensure that farmers get their produce from their various farms to the market with ease, Ondo State government has directed each local government to grade 50 km road annually.

It also added, that the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAAMP would fix the total of 1500km of rural roads.

These were parts of the resolutions contained in a communique signed by heads of all the commodities associations made available to the media yesterday.

The emergency parley which was between Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association, OSACA and the State Government, represented by the Commissioner of Agric and Forestry, Mr Olayato Aribo and SSA to the Governor on Agric & Agribusiness, Pastor Akin Olotu in Akure.

It stated that “Major agric roads not captured by RAAMP across the state, should be identified in collaboration with OSACA and should be prioritized by state government urgently.

It appealed to Government to adequately fund the Agric Input Supply Agency to ensure that the sales points are decentralized and sold at subsidized rates including all livestock feed.

The Communique observed the need to encourage research on local production of agro chemicals and other farm inputs and encourage Agric Engineers and Fabricators for greater output.

OSACA noted the need for the recruitment and retraining of extension officers, funding of extension service providers in monitoring and supervision of extension agents.

While emphasizing on identification of potential mini dam sites and already existing ones, it tasked government on using the bottom–top approach to apply the  intervention funds on irrigation.

“Government should subsidise land clearing promotion and provision of power Tillers and small power tractors to complement big tractors.”

“Associations should engage hatchery operators to ensure local patronage.

Government should mediate in the issue of how patronage can come to local hatcheries.

It charged government to commence establishment of the farmers market across the 18 LGAS

On farm transportation, it was resolved, that small haulage vehicles (tricycles and vehicles) be provided in conjunction with OSACA as well as promoting and provision of mini trucks for rural –urban haulage.

For proper channeling of the federal government programmes to Farmers & Agropreneurs in Ondo State, the state government was also urged to ensure an interaction with the minister of Agriculture & Minister of Trade & Investment, Federal Permanent Secretaries, State coordinator of FMARD among majority of others