Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, at the weekend urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend intervention funds to cash crop farmers.
The Governor made the call at the inauguration of Bambi Farms, a vegetable oil producing company, at Okeigbo in Odigbo/Okeigbo Local Government Area of the state.
He projected that including cash crops in the apex bank’s intervention funds support would further improve Nigeria’s non-oil foreign exchange earnings.
While promising the state government’s support for the factory, Akeredolu pointed out the investment in the factory would create jobs for the unemployed and serve as veritable market for farmers in the area.
The Governor said: “We want to look at usefulness of this industry; It needs the support of all because it would grow in no time. From records available to me, it can produce 120 tonnes of soya beans and palm kernel oil per day.”
Akeredolu hinted also that the government had revived the Okitipupa Oil Mill, adding that the organized private sector (OPS) would be involved in its management with a view to guaranteeing its efficiency and sustainable growth
In his remarks, the Chairman of Bambi Farms, Mr Ade Ayoola, unveiled plans by the Board and management to increase the capacity of the factory such that within a few years more of such mills would be established in the state.
He projected: “In the next few years, we hope to have filled the land with oil mills, refinery; we are targeting 1,000 workers per shift. We cannot achieve this without the support of government because our desire is to change the narrative.”
Commenting on the agribusiness investment, the royal father of the day, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, Ooni of Ife, commended the state government for its support for the project as well as the company’s chairman for locating the factory in his home town.
The royal father charged other indigenes of the state to think about bringing similar projects to their communities and by so doing, boost the state’s industrial and employment generation capacities.
Also, the Osemawe of Ondo Kingdom, Oba Victor Kiladejo, commended the state governor for his passion for the state’s industrialization and the company’s chairman, adding that the launching of the factory should encourage other indigenes of the state to invest in similar value-adding projects.
