Members of Oyo State House of Assembly have advised Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to support farmers in the state with loans and farm implements.
The lawmakers noted that this is necessary in order to avert looming food scarcity in the state.
The lawmakers, who decried the high cost of buying, hiring and getting agricultural inputs, and called on the State Government headed by Makinde to increase its support for farmers across the State.
The lawmakers while speaking further appealed to Makinde to support the farmers through the Agric Credit Corporation (ACCOS) and the Oyo State Agribusiness Agency.
Our correspondent reports that these appeals were contained in the resolutions made by the lawmakers while deliberating on a motion introduced by member representing Oriire State Constituency, Hon Jacob Abidoye Bamigboye.
Bamigboye, who spoke during the plenary of the house on Thursday, decried the security situation in the state.
He explained that many farmers have abandoned their farms as a result of “insecurity, destruction of farmlands by suspected Fulani herders among others.”
He then declared that this was “the time to map out more ways of supporting and encouraging farmers across the State”.
He maintained that by doing so, “there will be food security” and this will help to avert looming hunger and famine in the state.
Speaker of the Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin while speaking, announced the composition of an adhoc Committee to furnish the House with activities of various agencies responsible for giving support and loan facilities to farmers in the State.
Other members who asked Makinde to support the farmers included the Minority leader of the House, Asimiyu Alarape, Olamide Olagoke Akinajo, and Olatunde Kehinde.
The lawmakers emphasized the need to encourage farmers in the state to go into mechanized farming.
They stressed that the cost of getting and hiring tractors and other farm inputs is beyond the reach of most of the farmers in the state.
