Adeleke Promises Huge Investments In Agriculture For Economic Growth

Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, has promised huge investments in the agricultural sector, saying focus will be on planting cocoa, cashew and oil palm seedlings to further boost their production in the state.

Adeleke, who expressed happiness at the various successes recorded in the agricultural sector in the last three years, revealed statistics on planting expansion in cocoa, oil palm and cashew sectors.

Speaking after receiving the agro-sector report in continuation of the sectoral review of Osun governance starting from 2023, Adeleke said his administration’s cocoa expansion initiative received a boost with 400,000 cocoa seedlings planted from 2023 till date.

Apart from the good report from the cocoa sector, the governor also announced that the cashew extension project has recorded huge success with 80,000 seedlings planted from 2023 till date.

Calling it a game changer, Governor Adeleke said Osun is seeking to ramp up its annual output in the sector to boost the increasing capacity of cashew stakeholders to meet local and global demands.

He announced that a total of 60,000 oil palm seedlings were planted within the same period, saying that the government targeted those three major cash crops in his administration’s drive for diversification.

Speaking on the tractors purchased by his administration, Adeleke said, “Our administration purchased 31 tractors with the hope of buying more in phases to meet the 117 targets. But the seizure of the Osun local government fund changed the plan.

He noted that the 31 tractors located across the state have been serving the local farmers very well at subsidised rates.