Ogun, Cocoa Farmers Make New Pact on Forest Reserve Regeneration

Farmers planting cocoa in the Ogun State government-owned forest reserves and the State Ministry of Forestry have entered into a new agreement on how to regenerate the reserves.

 

Under the agreement, the Ministry would supply free tree seedlings to the farmers who in turn will plant them in the farms. The farmers are also to stop payment of regeneration fees forthwith.

 

All these were made known today in Abeokuta by the State Commissioner for Forestry, Adebayo Fari while addressing newsmen on the outcome of a meeting between officials of the ministry, those of the Ministry of Agriculture and representatives the affected farmers.

 

Fari disclosed that a monitoring team made up of officials of the Ministries of Forestry and Agriculture as well as the cocoa farmers would be raised to ensure strict compliance.

 

“We would from time to time inspect the farms where we expect the farmers to plant the tree seedlings and their cocoa. We expect the two to be nurtured and growing up at the same rate, however, where we discover that a farmer is taking care of only his cocoa and not the tree, we would not hesitate to deal with such farmer accordingly” Fari stated.

 

Reminding the farmers that government’s initial plan was to dislodge them from the reserves, Fari disclosed that government however changed its mind in order not to severe their source of livelihood and enjoined them not to misuse the opportunity by not extending their farms.

 

Also speaking, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Mr. Wale Ogunyomade advised the farmers to do their best to take care of and nurture both their cocoa and the trees as agreed, warning them not to go beyond the lands allocated to them.

 

Responding on behalf of other cocoa farmers, Mr. Azeez Fayomi pledged their readiness to abide by the rules guiding the agreement, lauding government for the gesture he described as a welcome development.