THE Oyo State Agriculture Credit Corporation has embarked on a sensitisation drive to intimate farmers across the state with the policy of the Governor Seyi Makinde-led state government to enhance food security and sustainability.

The drive, which was led by the corporation’s management comprising its chairman, Honourable Jimoh Afees (Ona-Ara) and the General Manager, Mr. Bode Raji, has seen the corporation visit the Deep Launch Factory, Ogbomoso and the Rural Community Development Centre, Awe.

A statement signed by the corporation’s chairman, Hon. Afees, indicated that the aim of the sensitisation visit was to boost agri-preneurship and to proffer solutions to some lingering challenges pertaining to the accessibility of the various Loan Schemes of the corporation.

Hon. Afees, who reiterated the commitment of the Governor Makinde-led administration towards boosting agricultural production in the state as its vision to expand the economy of the state is hinged on agriculture and agriculture value chain, advised farmers’ groups to come up with realistic business plans and budgets, which should be vigorously pursued.

At the Deep Launch Factory, a privately-owned agricultural processing outfit with the mandate of adding value to various agricultural produce such as cassava produce,  the corporation said it was looking into the possibility of collaborating with the off-taker by helping individual farmers grouped in the various Cooperative Societies to assess micro-credit from the corporation, which could be subsequently used in the cultivation to be off-taken by the off-taker.

The management team of the corporation interacted with the consultant of the project as well as representatives of farmers’ group, which informed the corporation that the farmers’ group was working presently on about 500 hectares, which they intend to cultivate this year.

Similarly, the corporation’s management was at the Rural Development Centre, Awe, where the state governor recently launched the Youths in Agribusiness Initiative.

According to the statement, the corporation discussed possible ways of collaborating with participants under the scheme coordinated by IITA, which is into various types of agricultural production ranging from crop production, fishery and agricultural processing.

The chairman advised participants to aggregate themselves into the various agricultural groups and come up with a realistic business plan, which he said could enable them access the micro-credit available with the corporation in line with the commitment of the present administration to fully empower the youths in the area of agriculture so that food can be in abundance in the state.

The chairman also assured the participants of the full support of the corporation in the realisation of the goals of Youth Employment in Agriculture and particularly promised a good exit porgramme for the youths that are currently on the premises of the centre in respect of financing.

SOURCE: TRIBUNE