Oyo registers 1000 farmers for free school feeding

*MASTERCARD empowers 5000 youths in agric enterprises

Oyo State government has registered about 1000 farmers for its free feeding programme for school children in the state.Also the state is set to employ about 1500 food vendors for the programme, while about 5000 of its youths are being trained in food production in a collaborative project with the International Institute of tropical Agriculture, IITA.

Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development commissioner Oyewole Oyewunmi, told The Guardian in an interview, that the state registered only farmers from the state in order to empower them and provide foods for the youths in the state.

Prince Oyewunmi said; “As we all know, food is critical for our youths. When you feed the youths, you make them happy and create a healthy life style for them. They will then spend their time wisely and have time for creative and productive vocations without having to worry about where to get the next meal’’.

On the benefits to the state holders of the project, Oyewunmi explained that all those involved in the programme would have something to cheer about in it and that this will include even the benefactor, the state government too.

‘’The parents are being supported to feed their family and what this means is that they would have extra funds in their pockets to spend on other expenses.‘’Employment are being provided for the farmers and food vendors involved in it, wile the farmers products are being wholly purchased to provide funds for them and their families, while it will also empower the vendors.”

‘’These people in turn, would pay taxes to the state government and help in increasing and shoring up the Internally-generated Revenue of the state government.The commissioner also disclosed a cheery news for about 5000 youths of the state that would be involved in a training and empowerment programme being sponsored by international credit card organization, MasterCard in collaboration with International research institute, IITA, would will provide the technical training and support for the enviable project.

According to him, the youths would be trained in various agricultural projects that would include Cassava production, yams, roots and other agric enterprises.‘‘This is another project that will empower the youths and make them self reliant in the nearest future,” he said.