As Adeleke Breathes Life to Agriculture in Osun…

Sarafa Ibrahim writes about the recent move by Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State to breathe life into agriculture by encouraging mechanised farming through purchase of tractors for use by teeming agrarian farmers in the State of the Livingspring.

Someone sent a message to me on WhatsApp, and I have since been ruminating about the phrase used, which informed the title of this my piece. Ostensibly commenting on a video showing a procession of newly acquired tractors making their ways into Osogbo, the Osun state capital, he said ‘Adeleke breathes life to agriculture in Osun’.

For several minutes, I paused to process what he said, and in the end, the import of the phrase sunk deeper into me. Of a truth, agriculture in Osun, for some time now, has been more in name than really feeling its effect. While Osun state is well known as an agrarian state, past negligence and the dearth of meaningful investment in essential equipment and implements have left the agriculture sector in the state almost lifeless.

For several years, agriculture in Osun state was just a mere rhetoric as policy and interventions in the sector were so insufficient to make any impact and drive expected growth in the sector. It was so bad that in 2020, to be precise, a meagre N6,992,500.00, was the aggregated amount spent on agriculture by the end of the third quarter, reflecting the terrible fate that the sector endured under the previous administrations.

Upon assuming office in November, 2022, Governor Ademola Adeleke radiated hope that it will no longer be business as usual, which was anchored on a five-point action plan. And less than two years in office, we can all see the manifestation of its implementation going by the remarkable delivery of service across sectors.

The last time Osun experienced this sort of investment in agriculture as reflected in the acquisition of new tractors was under the administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

This sounds unbelievable, but that was how bad things were under the previous administrations. In 2020, to be precise, the Osun state chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) highlighted the extent of neglect that the agriculture sector in the state was subjected to when he declared that there was no tractor in the state to aid their farming operation. Alhaji Sulaimon Araokanmi, who chairs AFAN in Osun state at that time, told reporters in Osogbo that “we also asked the government to provide tractors for us because there is no tractor in the whole state that farmers can use to cultivate.”

Apparently, it was all for nothing, as Oyetola did nothing about their request. All through his time in office, no single tractor was purchased, nor was any other serious effort made to aid agriculture activities in the state and ramp up food production. This type of story follows a familiar pattern and clearly explains the decline in agricultural activities and damage to the state’s food security.

This is obviously not a route that Governor Adeleke is willing to thread, and the manifestation of this fact is in the new tractors bought by his administration to improve farming activities in the state. Unveiling the new tractors on Friday, Governor Adeleke left no one in doubt that Osun is poised to leverage the agriculture potential of the state for food production wealth for the state and its people by disclosing that “Today, we are distributing 6,000 herbicides, 80,000 cashew seedlings, 8,000 cassava cuttings, 8,000 various vegetable seeds and 500 bags of Lime to our farmers, women associations, people living with disabilities and government schools with large farmlands.”

I’ve seen some opposition elements trying to diminish the extent of the intervention by Governor Adeleke by cross-referencing numbers, however, the mistake they are making is failing to appreciate the monumental impact of not doing anything in the past. They should be concerned that throughout the 12 years it held sway in the state, it was unable to buy just a single tractor to aid farming activities.

What actually matter was Osun moving away from archaic farming practice that the lack of interest by successive APC administration condemned Osun farmers to. This is exactly what the new tractors procured by the Adeleke administration offer to Osun farmers. Unlike the experience in the past, Osun farmers now have at their disposal tractors to cultivate lands and ensure broader farming activities. This is why most Osun people welcome the investment of Governor Adeleke in that regard.

For once, a governor is showing a zeal to solve a problem that is at the heart of the state’s food security. As Governor Adeleke clearly indicated while unveiling the new tractors, more are still on the way because “the state is committing N8 billion for the acquisition of tractors and farm clearing equipment within the context of due process and another N2 billion worth of farm input support.”

For Osun to translate its vast agricultural potential to feeding its population and generating wealth, it needs to adopt sustainable practices that ensure increased productivity. This understanding clearly reflects the decision of Governor Adeleke to acquire tractors, which will not only boost productivity on our farms but also support the health of our farmers.

It is an open secret that mechanised farming is the order of the day, and only a handful of farmers could afford it without the support of the government. This gap is what Governor Adeleke is bridging with the new tractors and other farm implements, which will significantly address the decline in productivity in the sector over the years, and in turn, fight multidimensional poverty and enhance food security.

Governor Adeleke and his team carefully assessed the needs of the agriculture sector and came up with interventions that answer those needs. Before now, farmers in Osun state are left to their faith, going through the most challenging experience to cultivate their farms. This unfair treatment not only limit the capacity of their output but also weigh on their health, contributing to the dwindling interest in farming and the attendant drop in food production.

But all that is bound to change with the intervention of Governor Adeleke. The good thing about the new tractors procured by the Adeleke administration is that it is multiple-purpose. Apart from the general use of clearing lands and ploughing at an incredible rate, the new machines can also transport farm outputs. Beyond tractors, Governor Adeleke will be supplying farmers in the state with implements, which includes improved seedings, bolstering the prospect of bountiful yields at the point of harvest. Through partnership with the federal government, thousands of bags of fertilizers will be distributed to farmers in the state.

To cap it all, the Adeleke administration provides a lump sum of N8.6m to each of the poultry farmers participating in the Osun Broiler Outgrower Production Scheme (OBOPS), which according to the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Otunba Tola Faseru, will allow them to “raise two thousand (2,000) day-old broiler birds to table size within six weeks and the cycle will be repeated continuously and off-taker will buy back from each farmer.”

But he did not stop there as he went on to assure that the government “will continue to support farmers’ group who are into food processing by empowering them with Agricultural asset like Maize Shelter, Palm Kernel Cracker, Smoking kiln, Poultry Cages, Pens etc. to encourage value addition.”

As much as the governor is prepared to aid farmers in meeting the food needs of the people for today, he is also making strategic investment to create a wealth that will serve the purpose tomorrow. This is what the specialised breed of cocoa and cashew seedlings being undertaken by the Adeleke administration reflects, putting tomorrow’s wealth in the hands of the people.

Osun is a major cocoa belt in Nigeria, and investing rightly, just as Governor Adeleke is pursuing, will not only restore past glory but also draw a sizeable wealth for the state and its people. The same thing with cashew, which is capable of providing the state and its people with a steady source of revenue in the future. In essence, Governor Adeleke understands well enough the immense potentials that agriculture holds for Osun, and he is willing to explore it.

The long and short of it all is that Governor Adeleke is prepared to do everything necessary to turn the tide in the agriculture sector and ensure food security for the people. And just as the person who sent me a message aptly captured,  the governor has breathe life to the agriculture sector in Osun state, and the people will reap bountifully from it.

This is why Governor Adeleke will continue to enjoy the support of Osun people because, so far, he has been working to uplift lives and move the state forward.

-Ibrahim, Media Assistant to Osun State Governor, writes from Osogbo.