Gov. Oserheimen Osunbor of Edo has said that the long neglect of agriculture was responsible for the food shortage being experienced in the country. He said this on Wednesday at Usugbenu, Edo, at a ceremony to commence the harvesting of rice on a 50- hectares farm cultivated by the state government. Osunbor said Nigeria had no business discussing food security issues if not for the fact that the agricultural sector had been abandoned by stakeholders. He announced that the state Government had made the revival of agriculture one of its policy thrusts. "Before oil assumed its position today, people of the state were actively involved in agricultural activities. We are going to ensure that farmers make use of the fertile land available in the state.
"We are going to use this policy to mop up a sizeable portion of the unemployed in the state," he said. Also speaking at the occasion, the State's Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Ken Ihensekhien, said only 50 hectares out of the 400 hectares set aside for the farm project had been cultivated. He said the 50 hectares was allocated to individuals to manage, adding that they were placed on a monthly stipend of N5,000. In her contribution, the Special Adviser to Osunbor on Communal farming, Ms Uwa Osunbor, said government had, through the programme, injected a new life into agriculture. "Though we started late, we are happy that we have come up with this magnificent result,'' She said.
