By; Niyi Ogungbola, Abeokuta.
Agro-allied industries in Ogun State have been advised to encourage local farmers by giving financial and technical aids towards sourcing their raw materials locally through improved agricultural yields.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Adepeju Adebajo stated this when the management team of Tulip Cocoa Processing Limited, Ijebu-Mushin paid a courtesy call on her in Abeokuta.
She said there was the need for agro-allied industries to reach out to the farmers through their various cooperative societies and offer them financial and technical assistance to boost their farm yields which would in turn benefit the industries in terms of cheaper raw materials.
Mrs. Adebajo said ‘’when the farmers produce more, it will allow you to source your raw-materials locally and at a cheaper rate instead of sourcing them nationwide which will attract more overhead cost and inconveniences’’.
The Commissioner assured that the Ministry would help the industries to facilitate the necessary synergy between them and the farmers, urging them to treat the farmers fairly while patronizing them.
Speaking earlier, the Managing Director of Tulip Cocoa Processing Limited, Mr. Samuel Conway – Jarret, said his company had been investing in the cocoa value chain in the last 10 years in Ogun State and the entire South-West, urging the State government to act as intermediary between the company and the Cocoa farmers.
