Ondo state government says its investment in agriculture is based on the belief that neglect of the sector is a call for food and economic insecurity and ultimately poverty.

The State Commissioner for Information , Kayode Akinmade,  said agriculture  is the first manufacturing industry in the world as  it does not only give riches to a nation but the only she can call her own.” Nothing brings a nation down than dependence on foreign countries for food.”

He said the Agriculture potential of Ondo state has been under-utilized before the advent of the Mimiko-led government, “as an agrarian state, with a large land mass and an estimate 60% of its population who derive their livelihood from agriculture, Output from the industry had nonetheless been minimal.”

He added that agriculture process had been uncoordinated, farming was basically labour-intensive and farmer were largely unmotivated.

“So, the caring heart government, through the ministry of agriculture therefore set a policy thrust to promote accelerated development of agricultural activities in the state including food, free crop, livestock, fishery and forestry.

“The policy thrust is also to provide raw material for agro based industries in Ondo state, to ensure food security and to efficiently harness the agricultural resources of Ondo state so as to contribute significantly to its GDP.”

He explained that to actualize the dream of turning around the economy of the state and to create employment for the youth, the Government created Agriculture Villages at Ore, Owo, and Auga among others.

The information commissioner said the various agric villages are changing the perception of farming so that young people stop trying to escape the farm and instead look at farming as an attractive option, something that is as appealing as a career in high-tech, in fashion or industry.

“When rural communities offer young people a range of income-generating opportunities to choose from, more will decide to stay in the villages and resist the call of often dead-end futures in the cities, abroad or in extreme religious or political movements.”

He said that the dream of the state is that there will be no graduate in the state that will be unemployed in no distance time as they intend to achieve zero tolerance in unemployment.

Akinmade added that the agricultural transformation is being carried out along side infrastructural development as there is no point in increasing yields if the infrastructure does not exist for farmers to be able to get their produce to market.