REPOSITIONING AND THE SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURE IN OVIA NORTH-EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
A TARGET SET
To speed up the reformation process which will in turn translate to the sustainability of this venture, The Edo State Farmers Agency has set up Target for all farmers Union in the Eighteen Local Government Area that make up this Edo State Agency, to do the best they could in order to make food available and affordable for their various local government area, in order to complement the effort of the Chairmen who are doing everything possible to put food in the table of their citizenry.
We want to make it clear sir that this Union was formed based on the cooperative organizational structure as contained in the policy document of the Nigeria Cooperative movement. Section 82D of the book states: “The Unions must act firmly as mouth piece for the societies that they represent”. As this is expected to boast their relevance and ensure success. Also in the book, ‘Co-operative administration in Nigeria authored by S.Owojuyigbe, page 28 paragraph 1 to page 29 paragraph 1 states: “Members of secondary co-operative societies are corporate bodies of primary cooperative societies. When primary societies join together, they become an association which may affiliate to a secondary society or a union. The union renders services to the primary societies”. Such services as outlined below:-
a. Giving advance loan/grants.
a. Giving advance loan/grants.
b. Making sure the books of the primary societies affiliated to them are up to date
c. Thrift and credit operations.
d. Stock quality seeds and distribution to farmers
e. To provide hire facilities of tractors and other farm machinery.
f. To distribute fertilizers and other farm chemicals
g. To provide spraying equipments and chemicals
h. To provide credit for labour and consumption finance
i. To provide fishing gears and equipment.
j. To disseminate knowledge on modern farming by having the services of extension officers and agric professionals.
k. To provide services for harvesting, pooling, grading and transporting.
l. To market the produce for better price, while providing storage facilities for inputs, farm products, machinery, etc.
m. To undertake simple processing of the products of the farmers
n. To procure and distribute consumer commodities.
o. Any other measures designed on cooperative principles to encourage among its members the spirit and practice of cooperation.
These are some of the services that unions could offer to primary cooperative. The union also helps them to source for fund and also do their best to add value to the products of the primary societies. On this basis sir, the Ovia North East Local Government Farmers Multi-purpose co-operative union having been supported with a plot of land measuring 100 by 200ft in Igbobi community of Oghede ward, O.N.E.L.G Area wish to solicit for your support to enable them start up the plantain chips/flour and starch processing mill proposed to be set up in that community, by the management of the union.
We are very confident that you will support this venture. As prior to now, there is no doubt that we have not been making maximum use of our productive land. Note sir that the farmers in this local government area has not been very happy as most of the food we consume is imported from the neighboring states. This trend we would have been able to curb if the appropriate authority has made provisions for the farmers to:-
A. Support the farmers to access available Loans and Grants directed towards these hardworking group of persons in our communities. Therefore, we want to solicit our able Chairman to support farmers in the Local Government Area with soft loans. As this will assist the farmers to diversify from only cassava cultivation to other crops as mentioned in section “D” of page 5
B. We also humbly implore you sir, to assist co-operative in your L.G. Area to offset their own part of the FADAMA III counterpart fund in order for all your farmers to benefit from this program. As their benefit will also help project the kind of lifestyles lived in Ovia North East.
C. Being a new group just formed, there is every tendency that starting up grant will go a long way to enable this Union to rent a place which will be used as the secretariat of the Farmers Union. Before we succeed in setting up permanent office in the proposed Organized Farmers Community (O.F.C) when you finally approve an area for us, to start up the farmers mechanized farming project.
For example, we have a very fertile land that can be used for the cultivation of tomatoes. But because our farmers are not given the required assistant, this make it seem as if our farmers are not qualified to produce the crop. The issue of yellow yam in our market has become a thing of the past. But is it really true that if our farmers are aided that they cannot keep producing this yam? (Ikpen).
It looks like a dream to many that water-melon consumed in this state is the product of Edo Land. Before this era, Edo Farmers were deceived that water-melon cannot do well in the state. But with required support farmers in the Local Government Area are ever willing to flock the market with this product at a cheaper rate, under the management of Ovia North East Farmers Union.
We are very sure that we are not asking for too much from you sir, if what we are requesting for is just to support your farmers, in order to enable our farmers produce more for the Local Government Area and the nation in general. After carefully analyzing the areas we want to address in our urge to reform the farming industry in Ovia North East Areas listed below is the area we actually needs the assistant of the Local Government authority:
i. We want to expand on the production and preservation of cocoa
ii. As spelt out in our write-up, we want to be very sure we can produce the required quantity of plantain to run our plantain chips/flour factory.
iii. We wish to set-up the organize farmers community, where farmers will dwell together to share Ideas together in order to enhance the development of seeds and other materials expected to upgrade the lifestyle of the farmers in Ovia North East.
iv. We believe we can add value to cassava product if we embark on the processing of starch into powder in the proposed Ovia North East Cottage industry.
v. We have well organized snail farmers who are ever ready to flock our markets with assorted sizes of snail at affordable prices. We want to boast this department because of the essentiality of the product.
vi. You very well know sir that Fadama is a World Bank Program geared towards empowering farmers’ for better production. But the problems farmers are facing are for our various governments to play their role and also assist farmers that could not meet up financially to benefit from the program. It is compulsory to do this because if the farmers cannot benefit, it may affect the farming Industry negatively, in the state or Local Government Area.
This write- up is just to intimate you of our intention to reform the agricultural sector in your domain. This automatically means that the Ovia North East Farmers union is saying “we can’t do this repositioning work independently of your support for us”. Therefore sir, we want you to assist us urgently in the areas outlined below:
A. Apportion to us a reasonable size of farmland where the union will be able to oversee the affairs of all farmers in the area affiliated to her. In order to guard them through the process of cultivation and also working towards adding value to their products in order to meet export standard.
B. Help us to start up our plantain chips/flour and starch processing factory expected to be cited in a parcel of land contributed to this union free to aid their reformation move. this will help the farmers have a ready market for their produce as the cottage industry will always be available to acquire and process such product as they might require {Land cited in Igbobi Community} also hoping to locate space of land in Okada and Idumwengie. Where such factories will be cited for the Union
C. We want you sir to help us speed us the process of Fadama III so that beneficiaries can make meaningful use of it. We also expect sir that groups qualified that cannot afford their counterpart fund, should be assisted in this regard.
D. It has been established that tomatoes, pepper, watermelon, yellow yam/other yam, rice, beans and onions can do very well in our land, if farmers can be sponsored to training on ways to develop these product in the Local Government Area. We the executives of ONEFU will be most grateful if your honorable office can resolve to assist us in these areas as the first Local Government in the state to do so. Note sir, agriculture is the base of Nigeria foundation.
E. Our local farmers are seriously in need of chemicals to protect their crops from black pod disease, as it is posing a serious threat to local cocoa farmers in the area in recent time.
F. We have resolved sir that if the land we intend to use for the farmers’ village is approved for us, we will set up fish pond. The type that will be able to provide sufficient fish for consumption in the Local Government Area and for export. We will also set up piggery and poultry. Glory be to God, as the waste from these farms will aid our move to develop a dung to produce natural fertilizer for our use in the farmers village.
G. The Union on behalf of all the co-operative Societies in the Local Government Area also request for your support to add value to their products by means of assistance in the area of material needed to burn charcoal to export standard. We believe there is a lot of benefit you will derive from this venture if we finally succeeds. We don’t want to request for too much at this time sir. But to start with these which we believe are within your power to accomplish for the zealous and heart warming re-awakened sector of our great economy.
Benefits expected.
We envisage a lot of benefits once this request is granted as this will enable the farmers in the area to be well organized. This can only be achieved if all farmers are encouraged to work together as a team. Be inform sir that in this proposed farmers community, every co-operative society operating within the local government area will be allotted a portion in this proposed Organized Farmers Community (OFC). The synergic impact of this cohesion will thus lead to increased output. As…..
1. It will enable the farmers in the local government area access this land which in turn will urgment their re-organization for better produce.
2. It will help the farmers realize the reason(s) why they must live within the farm environment.
3. It will enhance mass production, of agricultural products; thus leading to increased food supply. As which will in turn help in the reduction in foodstuff price.
4. It will help attract foreign investors to the local government area, to assist in our urge to project agriculture in the locality.
5. It will project the image of farmers in the area and also help them be fitted in their place in the scheme of things, as farmers from the most fertile land in the country.
Thank You
For Ovia North-East Farmers Multi-purpose Union Limited.
Agbonlahor Osamuyi Secretary/Manager
