Farmers Losing Millions Of Naira Farm Produce To Poor Roads

• By Timileyin Balogun, Abdulatif Oyediran, Aniefiok Samuel

FARMERS operating at Iba and Obaagun in Ifelodun local government area of Osun State are currently groaning, as some major roads connecting the communities are currently in deplorable conditions.

OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the bad condition of roads in the areas have led to the destruction of farm produce in large quantities, as the farmers faced difficulties in transporting their farm produce to the city.

OSUN DEFENDER visited the two communities on Tuesday and observed that the road connecting Obaagun to Iba, Iba to Iree and Inisa were not motorable, a situation that is preventing vehicles to come into the area.

One of the farmers who identified himself as Alhaji Soliu Jimoh revealed to OSUN DEFENDER that a major bridge named Agadagba on Iba road which connected other towns had collapsed in 2023.

Jimoh lamented that farm produce worth millions of naira got wasted away due to the collapsed bridge because farmers could not enter their various farms to harvest and transport to the city for sale.

He said: “The situation has not been easy since last year. We have been finding it difficult to get to the farm and transport our crops to the market for sale when the Agadagba bridge collapsed last year. 

“Farmers in these community lost majority of their farm produce running to millions of naira due to the condition of the bridge. I heard that some officials of the state government have come to check it but nothing has been done yet.

“If you check well, there’s no good road from Obaagun to Iba, no road to Ikirun. The only available road is Ire to Iba and cars can not ply the road due to its poor condition. We want the government to rehabilitate the road for us.

“There is no motorable roads from Obaagun to Iba, Inisa to Iba and Iba to Iree. Visitors can’t come to the community with their vehicles.”

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, a community leader in Obaagun who did not want his name in print, said stakeholders have on many occasions called the attention of the state government to the road but nothing has been done.

The community leader also lamented that equipment donated to farmers in the area by the state government were not delivered.

According to him, “Farmers in Obaagun and Iba are facing serious challenge due to the bad condition of roads. Also, we have been denied farm tools and other materials.

“Farm equipment donated to our zone are not being delivered. We heard that the government gave fertilizers to our farmers but we didn’t see anything. We plead to Governor Ademola Adeleke to come to our rescue. Our farm produces are wasting.

“When roads are bad, farmers will spend a lot of money in bringing food to the city and that will have great effect on food prices.”