The Lawmaker representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju State Constituency, Hon. (Surv) Bamidele Adeola has called for aggressive resuscitation of Oyo State Agricultural Development Programme, OYSADEP for optimum service delivery, saying it will create employment and ensure food security across the State.
While moving the motion titled, Need to revive agricultural sector of the State through resuscitation of OYSADEP for employment creation, improved IGR and food security, yesterday at the floor of the house, Adeola emphasized that the activities of the State agency in terms of providing improved seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers to farmers have been moribund for the past few years.
According to him, farmers in the State are now at the mercy of few intervention programs from the State Ministry of Agriculture that comes up once in a while, which has greatly affected agricultural productivity in the State.
He said, “Government has not fully exploited opportunities and potentials that abound in OYSADEP for abundant food production and total Agricultural revolution in the State.
“The previous administration in the State pays less attention to adequate budgetary provisions to Agriculture. Their claim in the past four years that agriculture remains a priority did not reflect in the budgetary allocation to the sector and even release of funds from the little allocated for proper implementation of policies and programmes.
“We are calling on the ministry of finance and budget to encourage increased budgetary allocation to Agriculture in subsequent proposals of the State and facilitate prompt release of funds to them for better service delivery.
“Government should fully exploit opportunities and potentials that abound in OYSADEP for abundant food production and total Agricultural revolution in the State, and should start from giving necessary support to the agency by addressing its problems- shortage of staff, provision of mobility for proper supervision and so on,” he added.
The lawmakers after deliberations therefore adopted the resolutions, charging the ministry of Agriculture and rural development in collaboration with OYSADEP to exploit value chains in agriculture in the State through partnership with interested private investors in agro-allied for expanding the economy of the State.
