Following the blockage of food supply to the South West by the Amalgamated Union of Foodstuff and Cattle Dealers of Nigeria, the CEO of SITOG Nigeria, Mrs. Grace Ajayi has called on southwest governors to encourage youths by giving them soft loans for farming.
She disclosed this while reacting to the recent stoppage of Foodstuff and cows from the north to the south on Monday.
According to her, when they stopped the transportation of cows to the South West, it was tough because it became difficult for people to get cows to buy as they became very expensive.
“We have to travel far from Ogun State to Kwara State to buy a cow for about N350, 000 and it was extremely expensive,” she said.
Ajayi, who is into the business of selling cows stressed that the cow they used to buy for N200,000 was sold for N300,000 to N350, 000 respectively during the period and that this made it difficult for the people to make a profit.
“The cows were expensive during the period but I had to make it available in order to retain my customers. Whether it was profitable or not, we had to make it available”, she added.
To avert such occurrence in the future, Ajayi urged southwest governors to prepare the youths that are ready to venture into Agriculture and provide resources for them.
“Some of these youths are ready to venture into farming but they have no resources. I want to appeal to the governors in the South West to do everything to prepare the youths and there will be food sufficiency for us all,” she added.
Recalled that the cattle dealers from the north commenced an indefinite strike following the failure of the government to address the alleged killings of its members in some parts of the country before the intervention of the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.