An American company, Cade Creek International, Colorado, United States, in partnership with a non governmental organisation, Youth Off The Streets Initiatives (YOTSI), is setting up a $25m farm in Ifon, headquarters of Ifon Orolu Local Council Area of Osun State.
Announcing the partnership during the presentation of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by all the parties, at the palace of Olufon of Ifon Orolu, Oba Almaroof Magbagbeola, the Chief Executive Officer of Case Creek International, Patrick Alley, said when fully operational, the farm would create over 6, 000 direct jobs.
Alley, who told newsmen he received spiritual directive to come to Africa to help provide jobs and add value to the living of many people, said irrigation specialists would be brought from the US, adding that besides providing jobs, the farm would also train people on modern methods of farming.
He added that different crops would be planted, emphasising that a new cornflakes company opening soon in the country, would source its corn from the farm.
In his remarks, President of YOTSI, Comrade Kennedy Nyere said his organisation has, as one of its five cardinal programmes-agriculture and food security, stressing that empowerment of the unemployed remains main motive behind the establishment of the farm.
Nyere added: “The farm has taken off since May. A team visited the site of the farm and conducted soil test and our soil experts certified the soil good for farming.
During the visit, Osun State government hosted us. We used that opportunity to explain our mission.
We have got the assurances from government and the community that our investment here is safe.
“The community is friendly, $25m will be invested by an American investor. The community is giving the group the land to farm. Resources will come from US and our group.”
In his remarks, the monarch, Oba Magbagbeola commended Alley, whom he described as a good man with vast experience in agriculture, for investing in the town.
Source: The Guardian
