Oyo cassava growers seek assistance in 1,000-hectare project

Nigeria Cassava Growers Association’s Farmers Multi Purpose Co-operative Union (FMCU) in Oyo State is seeking the assistance of the federal and state governments to develop the union’s 1,000 hectares cassava farm project.

The project, known as `Cassava Vanguard Farm Project,’ was officially launched at the Oyo State Agricultural Development Project’s farmers’ hall in Oyo town in September.

The Nigeria Cassava Growers Association in Oyo State presently has 176 co-operative societies, all dealing with cassava production.

Speaking at the official launch of the project in Oyo town, Muideen Adekunle, chairman of the association, said the union planned to spend a total of N194.5 million on the project, stating that the cassava plantation was located in Komu village, Itesiwaju Local Government Area of the state, while three garri processing mills were to be in three other locations.

The project, he pointed out, was meant to revolutionise cassava production in the state, stressing “it will also complement Federal Government’s initiative on cassava under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda.’’

According to him, the farm would be a cassava stem variety multiplication centre where different varieties of stem of the crop would be produced and multiplied, as part of the project included three local garri processing centres to be located at Atiba, Abidogun – Okaka and Biiro communities.

Adekunle said the cassava growers’ farmers’ co-operative union was presented with a certificate of registration by the state ministry of commerce and co-operative in December 2010, adding “it is our financial contributions as co-operative farmers that we used in acquiring land for the Komu cassava plantation.”

He appealed to the state government to assist the union with tractors as it did for local government councils, suggesting the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the government and the union, for the latter to be given a special loan through the agricultural credit corporation to fulfil the Komu project.

“We appeal to the state government to give us full support on the Cassava Vanguard Farm Project, especially with funds and tractors,” he said.

While assuring the Federal Government of its readiness to partner it in making the cassava transformation agenda a huge success in the state, he said “we have more than enough land here for cassava production.’’

By: REMI FEYISIPO