Makinde’s Agric policies driving food security, innovation in Oyo — Commissioner

...As state ploughs over 13,000 acres, vaccinates 95,000 cattle, builds 87km rural roads

The Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye, has stated that Governor Seyi Makinde’s agricultural blueprint is transforming the state into a benchmark for food security, mechanisation, and rural development.

Speaking on Thursday during the opening of an inter-ministerial press briefing held in Ibadan to mark the second anniversary of the Omituntun 2.0 administration, Olaleye noted that the state’s strategic blend of technical services, infrastructure, and human capital investment has repositioned its agricultural landscape.

He detailed the Ministry's achievements, citing major interventions in veterinary care, rural access, extension services, mechanisation, and agricultural input support.

According to the Commissioner, 95,948 cattle have been vaccinated against Anthrax and Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia, representing 80 percent of the targeted 120,000 herd. The exercise has contributed to lowering livestock mortality and protecting public health and farmers’ livelihoods.

He said regulatory structures have been strengthened through the issuance of operational guidelines for hatcheries and poultry processors, as well as the enactment of the Oyo State Trade in Cattle, Sheep and Goats Law, aimed at improving animal welfare and consumer safety.

Olaleye also disclosed that the Ministry constructed 87.53 kilometres of rural roads across several local government areas to ease access to farming communities. These include the 6.82km FRSC-Okudi-Oyada Road in ATISBO, 4.37km Market-Illa Junction in Oriire, and the 37.1km Alako-Idi-Iya-Batake-Olowa Farm Resettlement Road.

As of 10 June 2025, a total of 13,077.10 acres had been ploughed for 2,827 farmers under the tractorisation subsidy initiative, building on the 6,090 acres covered for 1,487 farmers in 2024.

Extension officers received 15 motorcycles, while both farmers and agents were trained in climate-resilient farming practices based on the Nigerian Meteorological Agency’s 2025 Seasonal Climate Prediction.

The state has also recruited 20 veterinary doctors and 141 agricultural officers across various cadres to strengthen its field presence.

In input distribution, thousands of crop and livestock farmers benefited. These include 920 soybean, 3,541 maize, and 1,269 cassava farmers who collectively received 65,000 bundles of cassava stems projected to yield over 214,000 tonnes. Additionally, 1,980 farmers were issued knapsack sprayers, while 2,500 others received herbicides and pesticides.

Livestock support covered 1,150 fish farmers, 2,536 cattle, sheep, and goat farmers, 3,740 poultry farmers, and 1,028 pig farmers with various nutritional supplements and feed.

Soft loans ranging from ₦50,000 to ₦800,000 were disbursed to 3,501 smallholder farmers to grow their enterprises.

A total of 3,830 individuals received training across various agricultural sectors, while 62 young rural farmers were enrolled and allocated land at the Oyo–IITA Youth Agribusiness Incubation Centre in Aawe.

The Commissioner said the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub had drawn the interest of the African Development Bank and other financial institutions as a promising model for integrated agro-industrial development.

He credited these gains to Governor Makinde’s unwavering political support and collaboration with stakeholders across the agriculture value chain, adding that Oyo is now a national reference for innovation-driven agriculture.

The session was declared open by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Olanike Adeyemo, who thanked residents and the media for their continued support. The governor’s Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said the briefings aim to ensure transparency and accountability by allowing officials to explain their sectoral progress.