In a bid to achieve food sustainability and production in Nigeria, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and South West farmers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote peaceful coexistence between both parties in the zone.
The South West farmers under the aegis of Southwest Commodities Farmers Organisation and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association signed the peace accord during a one-day summit held in Ibadan.
Addressing newsmen shortly after signing the peace accord, the coordinator of the Southwest Commodities Farmers Organisation, Olusegun Dasaolu, said the summit was an eye opener towards finding a lasting solution to some challenges confronting farmers in South West states.
He said the MoU symbolised an agreement between the herders and farmers to work in unity to improve food production and sustainability within the South West region and by extension Nigeria.
“What the MoU with cattle breeders translates to is that the farmers and the herders in the Southwest have agreed to work together for the unity of farmers and the progress of agriculture so that conflicts will be resolved amicably among the stakeholders.”
“And from this moment on, the first step we are going to take is to identify the genuine herders and farmers in the Southwest; we have agreed to connect better.
“This is going to go a long way in solving the food crisis in the sense that farmers will now feel secure to go back to their farms and this is going to assist greatly in the Renewed Hope Agenda of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,” Olusegun said.
The National Chairman of Miyyeti Allah, Othman Garzama, noted that the event was an opportunity to chart a way forward towards ensuring the security of both farmers and herders in the region.
He said that farmers and herders in the Southwest were united as brothers and must collaborate effectively to identify and address any problematic elements within the pastoralist community in the region.
The Southwest Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Abimbola Akeredolu, advocated for the continued deployment of technological solutions in agriculture to support farmers and enhance food production.
Also, Southwest Iyaloja General, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, called on the farmers to work as a team and ensure that they utilise research institutions to get better yields and promote food security in the country.
