Farmers in Oye-Ekiti have urged the newly elected chairman of Oye Local Government Area, Clara Bamisile, to prioritise the development of agriculture in the area.

Some farmers who spoke with journalists on Friday in Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, described agriculture, duly funded by the local government, as the bedrock of developing communities.

Jacob Hassan, a farmer, said many of the previous chairs failed to prioritise the development of agriculture and focused on areas that could fetch them money during their administrations.

“Some of them believe agriculture cannot fetch them money quickly, so they neglect the farmers during their tenure.

“But I want to appeal to our first local government chairperson, Bamisile, to consider our sufferings and promote agriculture in the community,” he stated.

Another farmer, Joseph Ogunjobi, said the community’s agriculture development was long overdue and should be revived.

Mr Ogunjobi explained that many of his colleagues with fertile farmlands could not cultivate them because they lacked funds and farm implements.

He urged the chairperson to set up a committee that would revive agriculture and empower farmers to produce crops such as maise, yam, banana and potatoes, among others, on large scales.

An elderly farmer, Bisi Ogunleye, said in the olden days, the local government gave tractors to the farmers to cultivate their farms.

Mr Ogunleye said that, in view of that, there was excess food production from various farms because the farmers had the government’s financial backing.

“If farmers are well-motivated, crops such as maise, yam, potatoes, beverages, and cassava, among others, will be produced on a large scale because the government has empowered the farmers to produce more,” he said.

He urged Ms Bamisile to try her best to invest in agriculture and create job opportunities for the youth who are interested in farming.

Similarly, a farmer, Kehinde Afeni, said agriculture and farming had been relegated to the background at the local government level because politicians felt that it had a long gestation before yielding profits.

Mr Afeni urged all the local government chairs to set aside a budget to develop agriculture in their various communities to create jobs for the youths. 

(NAN)