Aiyedatiwa’s grain palliative crashed egg price in Ondo, says deputy governor

Olayide Adelami, Ondo deputy governor, says the distribution of 1,200 metric tonnes of grains as palliative by the government to farmers crashed the price of eggs in the state.

Adelami spoke on Tuesday during the swearing-in of the new executive members of the Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association (OSACA) in Akure, the Ondo state capital.

He noted that Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the governor of Ondo, had embarked on multiple agriculture projects, policies, and programmes in recent times.

“It is worthy of commendation that Governor Aiyedatiwa has initiated and delivered several novel agricultural programmes, projects, and policies, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,” the deputy governor said.

“Recently, the state government distributed 1,200 metric tonnes of grains as palliatives to farmers in the state to address the cost of food prices, and I am sure your organization (OSACA) did benefit from this gesture.

“This development immediately crashed the price of a crate of eggs in the market.”

He urged the new OSACA leadership to assist relevant stakeholders in achieving food security and agricultural transformation in the state.

Speaking at the event, Abiodun Adejo, the new OSACA chairman, said the association would work with the agriculture/food security committee in the state to achieve food security.

“We are aware of the interest of this present government in developing agriculture and seeing to the plight of indigenous farmers in the state,” Adejo said.

“We salute Governor Aiyedatiwa for setting up the Agriculture and Food Security Committee in the state, and we are ready to work with them.”

Taiye Afilaka, OSACA’s vice chairman, said the new leadership will reposition the organisation to ensure women farmers at the grassroots have access to soft loans, machinery, and improved and subsidised seedlings to increase food production.

Bolanle Olafunmiloye, the former chairman of the Ondo State Wealth Creation Agency (WECA), expressed satisfaction over the synergy between various farmer’s associations in the state.

Gideon Oluleye, the southwest chairman of the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), said the association has benefited immensely from the government.