As part of efforts to increase food production and reduce food inflation in Oyo state, Governor Seyi Makinde has announced the suspension of revenue collection on farm produce for the next six months, instead the collectors would be deployed to the state borders to collect revenue from those who are taking produce out of the State.
Governor Makinde made disclosure during a special food Stakeholders’ meeting held with relevant stakeholders at the Fasola Farms Estate in Oyo West Local Government Area of the state.
The Governor who reeled out various interventions his administration had embarked upon to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, through the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) initiative, announced some other measures to ameliorate high-cost farm produce in the state.
Among top strategies as announced by Governor Makinde, were the liberalization of the conditions to access the state Agric Loan from the Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo State (ACCOS) by the farmers, the release of a sum of Six hundred Million Naira to ACCOS for farmers to clear hectares of land at a subsidized rate of 15 thousand Naira, noting that the six hundred million Naira would be able to clear up to 120,000 hectares of land when fully implemented.
In their various remarks, some stakeholders who lauded Governor Makinde for being sensitive to farmer’s needs, identified farmers-herders’ problem, high cost of herbicides, unavailability of tractors for bush clearing and ploughing, insecurity, among others as the major challenges facing the farmers in the state.
They charged him to liberalize the conditions of getting the Agric loan from the state government.