Oba Olatunji Olatunde (Olaibiyemi II), Onimesi of Imesi Ekiti in Ayekire Local Government Area of Ekiti State, today, supervised the distribution of 1,500 improved hybrid and indigenous tree seedlings to farmers in the community.
The tree seedlings initiative was part of the efforts by the community to boost efforts at plantation agriculture in the state.
It was aimed at increasing income and check the cultivation of Indian hemp, even as the target was to raise and distribute one million improved hybrid and indigenous tree seedlings to farmers.
Newscoven.ng gathered that the plantation agriculture, executed through the Imesi Community Reafforestation Programme, was funded by the Imesi Community Revenue Mobilisation Department.
The effort would consequently improve the economic prosperity of the farmers, and as well correct the widespread practice of deforestation in the town.
Speaking while distributing the tree seedlings to the beneficiaries, Oba Olatunde, described the initiative as a deft community action to improve the local economy, by making the people productive.
He said it would be prosecuted, relying on professional expertise and guidance of the personnel of the Ekiti State Forestry Department.
He also said he and other drivers of the initiative would be banking on his long-standing relationship with the Department, from his days as a Special Adviser on Forestry in Ekiti.
Oba Olatunde also disclosed the vision behind the conceptualisation and implementation of the distribution of tree seedlings.
The traditional ruler, who is a former Commissioner for Works, said it was part of his programme of action to ensure farmers’ prosperity, and engage them in long-term farming to improve their economic well-being.
Oba Olatunde applauded well-meaning indigenes of Imesi for donating the tree seedlings to kick start the programme.
He said the target was to raise and distribute one million improved hybrid and indigenous tree seedlings, including teak, obeche, iroko, aphra, and amelina, to all interested farmers in the town.
The traditional ruler further revealed that the afforestation programme was coordinated by some youths of the community.
Oba Olatunde listed the coordinators as including Messrs Kunle Otitoju, Wole Oladipo and Kehinde Dahunsi.
He called on farming youths to embrace the initiative to improve their incomes as a way out of joblessness, a vice which he said has crippled economically over 32 million productive population in the country.
“Our mission and vision for midwifing this programme is to improve the economic earnings of our farmers and correct the drift towards desertification.
“I am happy today that the initiative to distribute hybrid and indigenous tree seedlings has seen the light of the day.
“We are distributing just 1500 tree seedlings to kickstart the programme that was financed by our indigenes to boost the economic earnings of our people.
“Our target is one million stands. So it is going to be a continuous annual process.
“We will continue until all interested farmers have benefited and our mission accomplished”, the traditional ruler said.
Shedding light on the policy direction of the initiative, the Onimesi of Imesi said youths would be prioritised as beneficiaries.
He said it was time youths changed the erroneous narrative that farmers belong to the poor stratum of the Nigerian society.
Oba Olatunde explained that the Imesi model of plantation ownership was designed to combat the snag associated with acquisition of land for large plantation agriculture.
He disclosed that the tree seedlings initiative vests ownership and management of the seedlings in the farmers, via their quarter leaders.
“Those seeking to purchase the matured trees will therefore meet directly the owners, rather than seek to buy land for large acreage plantation.
“If this plantation model is successful, Imesi will also adopt same for cocoa and oil palm plantations, using the same ownership model.
“In fact, this is a new innovation in plantation development. Our people are genuinely reluctant to cede their lands to external agriculture investors, no matter juicy the offer.
“That is why we have vast unutilised lands in Ekiti, with cannabis farmers taking advantage of the abandoned lands to perpetrate criminalities,” he added.
Oba Olatunde commended some Imesi Ekiti high chiefs for joining him to mobilise resources to start off the distribution of the tree seedlings.
These included High Chiefs Rotimi Alonge (Kolaye) Adegite Solomon (Emila); Dahunsi Oludare (Osigun); Falana Bamidele (Ofoji); and Oladipo Gabriel (Oloka).
In his lecture, Mr Gbenga Filani, a Chief Forest Officer with the Ekiti State Forestry Commission, said plantation agriculture was capable of increasing incomes of farmers.
He said it would also protect the environment from rainstorm and reduce environmental degradation, as well as pollution.
Filani told the beneficiaries that the tree seedlings distributed to them were improved hybrids with short gestation period to attain maturity and earn them income.
Also speaking, one of the high chiefs, Solomon Adegite, said the programme will be handled through the quarter heads for wider inclusivity of all interested farmers across the town.
He stated that all chiefs were mandated to mobilise youths and farmers in their quarters to create awareness about the initiative geared towards returning Imesi Ekiti to the path of prosperity.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Pastor Samuel Oladimeji appreciated Oba Olatunde for thinking outside the box to institutionalise the initiative.
He added that initiative would bolster plantation agriculture and increase economic viability of farmers in the nearest future.
The beneficiaries appealed to Oba Olatunde and other drivers of the initiative to sustain the initiative, saying it would soon unleash the plantation agriculture potentials of the community.
