By Oluseye Ojo

In a bid to ensure food security in Oyo State, the Fashola Agribusiness Hub, established by the former premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and upgraded by Governor Seyi Makinde of the state has attracted at least $170 million investments to the state under the incumbent administration.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, made the disclosure at a press briefing on key achievements and impact reports of the ministry, at the Governor’s Office, Ibadan.

The press briefing, which is expected to feature every commissioner and heads of departments and agencies in the state, was declared open by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, yesterday.

The inter-ministerial press briefing was organised by the Governor’s media unit, under the leadership of Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju, chief press secretary to Governor Makinde.

“What we are doing in agribusiness in the building of farm estates has attracted more than $170 million to this state.

“If you go to Fashola Agribusiness Hub, look at the calibre of the business companies that are there, and imagine the amount of money invested right there. Then, you will give credence to the government.

“Today, right there at Fashola, we now have big processing companies. We have a company processing cassava and it can process tonnes of cassava sugar.

“We now have a company processing cashew. Tonnes of cashew can be processed in that farm estate.

“We have a company that is now rearing cattle for milk. So, in Fashola, we focus more on dairy farming.

“Today, based on the size of those agribusiness companies, we have integrated more than 8,000 smallholder farmers to those companies to be our growers for them.

“So, what that means is that not only do the smallholder farmers now have more jobs to do, they also have markets to buy their produce,” Olaleye said.

Within the past two years, Olaleye said the ministry had supported at least 10,210 with seedlings and other inputs, as 3,541 maize farmers and 920 soybean farmers benefited from the seedlings distribution programme.

High yield cassava stems, he said, were distributed to 1,269 farmers, covering 47,587.5 acres with potential to produce 214,143.75 tonnes of cassava tubers.

Olaleye further said knapsack sprayers were distributed to 1,980 farmers, and herbicides and pesticides to 2,500 farmers. He added that 8,464 livestock and aquaculture farmers were also supported with quality feed and other necessary inputs.

About 1,150 fish farmers received three bags each of 15 kilogrammes of quality fish feed, while 2,536 cattle, sheep and goat farmers received nutritional supplements, including 253,600 kilogrammes of wheat offal, brewery dried grains, salt licks and disinfectants.

Also, 3,740 poultry farmers received eight bags of 50kg maize grains each; and 1,028 pig farmers received palm kernel cake and disinfectants, he stated.

Olaleye also said 3,501 smallholder farmers were provided micro loans with soft loans, ranging from N50,000 to N800,000 per beneficiary.

The government, he revealed, has also constructed rural roads, totalling 87.53 kilometres across multiple local governments to transform agricultural communities.