Aregbesola Commits To Agricultural Development In Osun

Osun state Governor, Rauf Aregbesola has reiterated his administration’s resolve to boost food production in the state.

The governor made the observation when he hosted youths who had returned from Germany on an intensive training in modern agricultural techniques.

The 20 youths were the second batch of the exchange programme on agriculture between Osun and the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.

The two-month intensive agricultural programme featured modern techniques in crop cultivation, animal husbandry, cattle rearing, poultry and piggery. It cost the state government N61 million while the State of Saxony-Anhalt expended N29.9 million.

Aregbesola said the youths will impact positively and significantly on the mode of agricultural practice for massive food production. He added that they also learnt the German language which also stands them in good stead internationally.

He noted that government is renovating all dilapidated agricultural equipment and import tractors and other agricultural machineries from China. This will help farmers in production activities so as to guarantee huge food harvest. He promised that his government will assist the youths financially according to its capacity. He advised them not to fold their hands until such assistance comes.

Training Participants Hail Governor Aregbesola

Trainee, Abiri Tomiwa Rachel thanked the government for giving them the opportunity to go learn in Germany. She said if Nigeria can emulate the German system of animal rearing, the crisis between Fulani herds men and farmers would be a thing of the past.

According to her, the technique of feed formulation being used in developed nation is absent in Nigeria. If this is introduced, there will be increase in cattle production and end to farmers-herds men crisis.

Another participant, Orewole Latifat said the Germans are able to produce more than enough for their country by the deployment of equipment to do nearly all the farming activities. She said that with the knowledge they have acquired, they are ready to replicate what they saw and learnt while in Germany.

“We also want to embark on agriculture on our return. If we have all the modern tools at our disposal, we also will work diligently.”

“We learnt in Germany that what those farmers are doing, they derive satisfaction from it. If given the conducive atmosphere, we also can get satisfaction in farming”.

Aregbesola Encourages Birth Control To Reduce Poverty

He called on Nigerians to curb their excessive appetite for foreign foods and fabric. He also stressed the need for Nigerians to adopt birth control as a way to reduce poverty in the country.

“The reality today is that Nigeria is in economic crisis. Apart from the fact that the nation’s economic mainstay, oil, is now cheap on the international market, our production capacity too has reduced significantly due to the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers.”

“Besides, we also face food crisis and if we are unable to feed ourselves, then there is problem. We believe, as a government, that we must produce what we consume. The first panacea out of the food crisis is for us as a people to drastically curb our excessive taste for foreign foods.”

“We should patronize our locally produced foods rather than spend huge but scarce foreign exchange on importation of rice. “Apart from this, now is also the time for our people to practise birth control and control our population. This will go in no small measure in reducing poverty in the land,”