The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has asserted that farmers in the South-West region of Nigeria were not earning enough money from agriculture.
Ladoja stated this during a courtesy visit by executives and members of the South-West Commodity Farmers Organisation (SWCFO) to his palace on Wednesday in Ibadan.
It was reported that SWCFO also used the occasion to confer on Ladoja the grand patron of the organisation, which he graciously accepted.
The traditional ruler attributed the inability of farmers in the region to break even in agriculture to the high cost of inputs, farmers/herders clashes, improper implementation of the open grazing law, among others.
He said that a truckload of cassava was fetching farmers between N400,000 and N500,000 two years ago, but what was going into farmers’ pockets nowadays was less than ₦100,000 per truckload.
“This has brought a lot of hardship to us as farmers because we cannot meet all our commitments such as tractorisation, planting, labour, chemicals, fertilisers and other expenses.
“All these costs make it impossible for farmers to break even,” the Olubadan said.
Oba Ladoja promised the farmers in the region that he would help present their plights to President Bola Tinubu and other influential members of society.
The royal father expressed optimism of an improved situation by the 2027 harvest season.
Ladoja decried the non-implementation of anti-open grazing laws which had been enacted by governors in the South-West region.
According to him, the non-implementation of the anti-open grazing law has contributed to farmers and herders’ clashes.
“We believe that everybody has the right to engage in his or her business. However, one person’s business should not destroy another person’s livelihood.
“As we have been told, some people came from Ghana and were merely passing through.
“Yet, they ate up your crops and destroyed everything you had laboured for, and still went scot-free.
“We are determined to ensure that these laws are enforced, even at the local government level.
“The state has made the laws, and the local governments can implement them,” Ladoja said.
He said that he would not relent in impressing upon all levels of government to ensure that farmers get the needed support and protection for the benefit of the region and Nigeria in general.
Earlier, President of SWCFO, Prince Segun Dasaolu, said that the purpose of the visit was to appreciate the Olubadan for his commitment to agriculture in the South-West and for supporting them during their 2025 summit.
“We are also here to congratulate him on his new position as the Olubadan and to confer on him the grand patron, which he has graciously accepted and which will be formally celebrated in the nearest future,” he said.
Dasaolu listed some of the challenges facing farmers in the South-West and solicited his help in providing solutions to them to restore the region to its former status of self-sufficiency in food production.
