By Editor
A coalition of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) under the aegis of South West Commodity Farmers Ekiti State chapter on Thursday, inaugurated its new executive council in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.
The historic occasion which was organised by Dr. E.T Adebayo, the Regional Secretary of South West Commonly Farmers Association and the immediate past chairman of the farmers Association, finally put to an end, the age-long division and confusion among various farmers’ Associations in the state was held at the popular Farmers’ House Agric Olope area of the State capital.
In his opening address, the Ekiti State Chairman of AFAN, Mr. Alagbada Adeniran who doubles as the Chairman, South West AFAN and BoT member of South West Commodity Farmers Association said the Association was founded by the Commodity Farmers in the entire South West for all the farmers in the region to have one voice in dealing with what he called “the South West challenges for us to have a collective one voice in dealing with agricultural challenges which are enormous” he said.
He emphatized the need for the farmers to collaborate with the state government to be able to work in synergy for productivity and results.
“We’ve been working towards having a synergy between the Farmers Association and the government. We want to have a seamless operation with the government of the day much as the Governor of Ekiti State has shown huge interest in how to bail out farmers from their multiple challenges having invested heavily in agriculture, we too need to encourage the activities of the government through our full participation in agriculture as our primary occupation as a state”.
He particularly pointed out the challenge of lack of accessibility to government loans and other incentives by farmers in the south west region at the expense of a particular region in the country.
Said he: “We are hungry’ is not supposed to be our sing song in the south west because we have the best land, our terrain is good for agriculture but for the mere fact that we did not harness our resources, that is why we are where we are today. So, based on that, we leaders in the south west and in order for us to be able to aggregate our ideas, our needs and requirements before the government, the onus lies on us to establish a frontier in each of the south west states which gave rise to what we are doing here today”
Speaking earlier the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Mr Anthony Alofe on behalf of the Commissioner, thanked the organizers of the event for the honour..
He expressed delight at witnessing the epoch making event which was significant and an eye opener for correcting the error of the past.
According to him: “I have witnessed quite some ugly situations in my sojourn in the Ministry of Agriculture where commodity farmers never spoken in one voice and several groups will claim to represent casava growers association and this will never bring progress but that we are here together as one entity is due for applause and I will appeal to you to keep this spirit of oneness. History is being made here today no doubt, because the Governor we have in place is farmers friendly who is committed to revamping the agricultural sector to make Ekiti State the food basket of the nation”.
The program was brought to a close as the new ex-co members took the oath of office amidst jubilation.
