Osun Sponsors 20 Youths To Germany For Agricultural Training

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola has admonished 20 youths sponsored by the state to Germany on a special agricultural training to remain focused there and ensure that they justify the investment of the state as the trip cost over 64 million naira.

Aregbesola gave the admonition during a send-off ceremony for the 20 youths being sponsored to Germany for advanced training in agriculture and food production technology in State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

He explained that his administration's commitment to making agriculture more modern is one of the major reasons for sending them to Germany. He said this will increase food productions for local consumption as well as exportation.

The governor noted that the training is in continuation of his government’s drive to revolutionize agriculture in the state under the Osun Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Programme (O’REAP).

He said the administration is providing the necessary infrastructure and supports for farmers by supplying them with inputs such as improved seedlings, fertilizers and fumigants among others; giving them hundreds of thousands of hectares of already prepared farmlands.

He added that his government is liaising with reputable local and international partners–such as the Institute for Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), and International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), at Ibadan for assistance in the area of technical knowledge which will boost production and make farming easier, more interesting and more profitable. He said it is necessary to add value to agricultural practice by applying advanced knowledge in science and technology.

"We have adopted a multipronged approach to achieving this objective. On one hand, we are providing the necessary infrastructure and supporting our farmers with inputs.

"This requires supplying them with inputs such as improved seedlings, fertilizers and fumigants among others; reviving the old farm settlements that were the hub of the agricultural miracles of the Obafemi Awolowo era; opening up our rural areas by an aggressive campaign of road construction and rehabilitation to facilitate easy
accessibility and movement of goods from farms to markets; and the linking of farm produce from Osun to the huge market in Lagos via the Lagos-Osun Rail Logistics System," Aregbesola said.

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