Some
graduate commercial farmers at Oke Ako –Ipao axis of Ekiti State,
yesterday protested the alleged destruction of crops worth N35 million
by
suspected herdsmen grazing their cattle in the area.
The
angry farmers, who stormed the State House of Assembly with placards of
different inscriptions, also visited the offices of the Governor
Ayodele Fayose and the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Kehinde
Odebunmi , to lodge similar complaint. They lamented that herdsmen
operating in the area, had destroyed their maize plantation covering
over 30 hectares of land and cassava planted on an expansive land of
over 20 hectares . The farmers said the programme was being undertaken
under Ipao Youth in Commercial Agriculture Cooperative in partnership
with Matna Foods in Akure, Ondo State. The victims, who stormed the
Assembly at about 10am told the Speaker, Hon Kola Oluwawole that they
started the programme with a sum of N3 million in partnership with Matna
for the plantation of the crops, saying their hopes had been shattered.
Spokesman of the victims, Rotimi Fapohunda, said : “Shortly after we
started planting , we noticed that some herdsmen used to come for
grazing around that area at night. Later, we started noticing the
presence of cows on the farms at noon, but we didn’t see the owners.’’
The Speaker, who condemned the destruction, said this action could
dissuade young graduates from engaging in commercial farming as being
encouraged by government.’’
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/03/ekiti-farmers-protest-n35m-crops-destruction-herdsmen/
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/03/ekiti-farmers-protest-n35m-crops-destruction-herdsmen/
By Rotimi Ojomoyela (ADO-EKITI)
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