Food Sufficiency: Southern Governors to promote regional trade – Abiodun

Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun has disclosed that governors in southern states have decided to promote inter-state and inter-regional trade to foster food security and sufficiency.

Abiodun disclosed this when he received the newly constituted Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture, FUNAAB, led by the pro-chancellor, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Ayorinde Olabomi.

The governor stated that Ogun State has decided to establish farmers’ markets across the state to ensure food security.

Abiodun, who is the chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, SGF, said southern states have no reason not to promote trade among themselves with fertile land and human capacity in the region.

“As a matter of fact, me and my colleagues in the southern part of Nigeria have met and have said that we have no reason not to promote inter-state or inter-region trade.

“There is no reason why someone from the South-East or South-South is not buying yam or tomatoes from somebody in the South-West. There is no reason why someone from the South-West is not buying rice from Ebonyi.

“We should be able to attain food security and sufficiency within our region because we have the human capacity and the necessary arable  land. There is nothing we do not have to ensure we achieve this objective,” he said.

The governor added that the farmers’ markets to be established in Ogun will be located at strategic locations across the state, including Asero in Abeokuta and Ogere along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

He also said plans have been concluded to move the Kara cattle market from its present location to Ogere, where the cattle merchants can have access to a good atmosphere.

“Our Ministry of Agriculture is working on establishing a few things, one of which is the farmers market at strategic locations across the state, and I think this is another initiative we can collaborate. “One will be at Asero in Abeokuta. One will be somewhere around Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which is around the Ogere area, which we have also designated as our livestock and animal husbandry area.

“We are proposing to move the Kara market to somewhere along there where we have land, and we can provide them with additional land for expansion. We believe that with the number of small holder farmers we have in Ogun State, it will be an advantage to them if we have the farmers’ market located in strategic places,” he added.

Speaking, Oba Olabomi, who describes Governor Abiodun as one of the best in the country, called for collaboration with the state government at a time when people were clamouring for food.

He appealed to the governor to assist the institution by reconstructing the Iyana-Camp to Alabata road, which had been destroyed by heavy duty trucks.