Celebrating Successful Farmers Will Attract More Youths To Agriculture -Wemimo

By Dupson Collins, 15th June, 2024

The Chairman of the Food Security Committee, Mr Rotimi Wemimo Akinsola has urged both the Federal and State Governments to project successful stories of farmers to encourage more youths participation in agriculture and agribusiness in the country.

Mr Wemimo disclosed this while chatting with the PATH NEWS during the 2024 Cropping Season flag off by the governor of Ondo State.

He stated that despite the country’s population growing rapidly, food production is not growing at same pace, as youths are unwilling to take up careers in agriculture, saying poor awareness on the part of government has adverse effect on youth participation in agriculture.

His words: ” Our new generation are not seeing the benefits of embracing agriculture due to poor awareness. We need to engage them and create more awareness in the media, showing them videos, pictures of successful farmers among others”.

“We need to project the success stories of farmers to attract youths into the sector, while providing the vital infrastructure to aid production,”.

The Chairman added that Agriculture is a serious business and it needs to be treated as such by both the government and private individuals.

While commending Lucky Aiyedatiwa led administration in Ondo over huge investment in Agriculture, he added that the government at all levels need to make certain commitments in the area of infrastructure, farm input and credit facility to boost food production in the country.

He urged every Nigerian to embrace agriculture saying farming is not meant for the poor or low income earners alone, noting that in advance country of the world, farmers are living iñ affluence.

Speaking, the Governor who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami, expressed happiness over the cooperation and synergy that exist between the Amotekun Corps and other security agencies in the State.

The Governor said farmers can now go about their activities in their respective farms without fear of molestation or attack as incidents of criminality and kidnapping in our farms have been reduced to the barest minimum.

According to the Governor, “the reduction in the criminal activities of kidnappers was made possible through the help of the regular security agencies in the State and the State-owned Security Network, the Amotekun Corps who are always visible both in the urban and rural communities”.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry in Ondo State, Hon Olayato Aribo has reeled out several efforts of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to combat the rising cost of food items in the state by setting up of the food security Committee among other measures.

He revealed that a sum of N13.5m was released to raise 80,000 seedlings of exotic and indigenous species for plantation establishment which were being transplanted to the field this year.

He called on individuals and other agricultural investors in the State to take advantage of the State’s investor-friendliness and ease of doing business atmosphere to collaborate with the State and invest in the Agricultural sector.

While appreciating the Governor for his numerous support for agricultural sector in the State, Aribo said the Ministry’s door is opened to farmers to access Technical and Advisory Services, as well as modern farm inputs to boost their agricultural production.