ODSG restates support for agricbusiness

By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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Ondo State Government has restated its resolve to continue to provide enabling environment for private businesses to thrive, especially in the agribusiness.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Asiwaju Adegboyega Adefarati made the promise during a working visit to Igbajo  Agro Allied Farm Limited, a large scale agribusiness farm in Ondo West Local Government Area of the state.

 Adefarati  who was accompanied on the visit by the Ag. Permanent Secretary, Segun Odusanya and some management staff expressed satisfaction with the facilities on ground.

 He said the promoter of the farm deserved every assistance from the state government and other institutional agencies, especially Ondo State Ministry of Agriculture and  the Bank of Agriculture in order to reach its full potential.

The facilities on the farm include  a blossoming Oil Palm Plantation, Six Pens of birds, housing  20,000 birds a Ranch with at least 60 cows, goatry, piggery, dams, Feed mills and staff  hostel

Other facilities at the   Farm  include a Nine Holes Golf Court, Night Club and a hill with over 545 steps to get to the top.

The poultry section with capacity of 45,000 birds, but currently housing 30,000 birds is producing a minimum of 500 crates of eggs per day making it the biggest farm of its kind in the state.

The farm which currently has a minimum of 100 persons in its employment is a partner in progress. as it has contributed immensely to the State Government jobs creation  and poverty reduction efforts.

Speaking,  the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Segun Odusanya who commended the management of the farm for a job well done said this is the kind of business they will love to assist and partner, promising that the Ministry will do all in its power to assist the venture with the needed expertise to realise its full potential.

On why a medical doctor  embarked  on a full scale commercial farming worth millions of naira, the promoter of the agribusiness, Dr Jibayo Adeyeye attributed it to his  passion and desire to create job and value chain addition to the landscape.

Adeyeye, the Special Adviser to Ondo State Governor on Health said he singlehandedly financed the farm he started almost eight years ago following his inability to secure an Agriculture loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Bank of Agriculture.

He disclosed that the  farm consummes between 40 to 50 tons of maize per week especially in the production of feeds.

However, he  lamented the inability of farmers to maximize the opportunity by going into large scale farming of maize.

He expressed his commitment to partner the state government in order to grow and develop the agriculture sector and   help his farm to achieve its full potentials.