Osun Gov. Proffers Solution To Farmers/Herdsmen Crisis

• World Bank Partners Osun On Livestock Yield

Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said that the improvement of the nation’s cattle and other livestock breed is the major solution to the herdsmen/farmers crisis the nation is facing.

This was made known on Monday during a partnership visit of the World Bank Livestock Productivity and Resilience Team to the governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the government house in Osogbo to seal the World Bank collaboration with the state through the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to improve livestock production in the state.

The governor stated that when the breed of the local cattle is improved upon and they become as healthy and robust as they ought to be, it would be difficult for nomads to move or roam around with them and the crisis between farmers and herdsmen will stop naturally.

The governor added that the goal for every government in the country should be to raise cattle and other livestock animals in such a way that will make it completely impossible for them to be moved around.

He noted that when this is done, it will not only put an end to the farmers and herdsmen crisis, but also improve the economic value of the animals, noting that a lot of yield is being lost as a result of moving them around.

According to him, “the objective for us as a government has always been to raise our local stock in such a way that it will make it difficult to move them around thereby improving their yield and at the same time eliminate the social crisis between the farmers and herdsmen.

Speaking on the partnership between the state and the World Bank on the improvement of livestock breed in the Osun, Aregbesola stated that his administration will fully support the move, promising that the state will ensure prompt payment of its counterpart fund as and when due.

Aregbesola who explained that there is no aspect of agriculture which the present administration has not touched, stressed that his government will continue to support agriculture because it is one of the major ways out of poverty, as it will make make people to understand the value of work and money.

The World Bank Team, led by Mr Samuel Taffese had earlier gone round the state visiting locations where the state government uses for animal husbandry in a bid to access the readiness of the state for the collaboration.

Delivering an address, Taffese who was represented by the Senior Social Development Analyst of the bank, Professor Olukayode Taiwo stated that having gone round the state, they are rest assured that the Osun is fully ready for the project.

He said, of all the states visited so far, Osun is the only state that has shown the enthusiasm for the project, saying that the state already has an efficient team that will deliver on the needs of the World Bank concerning the project, as he noted that the personal interest of the governor for the project is motivating.

The World Bank team leader commended the Osun governor for the efforts made in the past to improve cattle and other livestock yield in the state, noting that it is a pointer to the fact that the bank has a good partner in the state.

He said: “Osun government is doing a fantastic job in the area of agriculture, with what we have seen on ground in the last 24 hours of our stay, we are so comfortable that we have come to the right place.

“It is obvious that we are on the same page with the Osun government, it is clear that the present administration in the state has taken steps to also improve the yield of livestock in the state and we are so encouraged by this because that’s what we intend to do.

“We sincerely appreciate the interest of the governor in this project, the team for this project on the part of the Osun government is fantastic and we can’t wait to start working with them.

“What we saw that is already being done at the Leventis center in Ilesa is fantastic and amazing, with that, we know that our job here in Osun is going to be easy and interesting because a foundation has been laid and the Osun team already has an idea of what we are bringing. Kudos must be given to the governor for the vision.

Among other eligibility conditions the state government must meet up with in the collaboration with the World Bank to improve livestock yield in Osun is the payment of N20million yearly counterpart fund for six years.