Oyo State has made meaningful progress in reducing food prices through targeted agricultural interventions, according to the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Hon. Olasunkanmi Olaleye. Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the commissioner noted that key food-items have seen sharp price drops as a result of sustained government support.
Olaleye revealed that several major initiatives—such as a large-scale distribution of cassava stems, provision of hybrid high-yield seeds, free fertilizer supply and a tractorisation programme subsidising ploughing costs—have increased output and lowered production cost. For example, he noted that cassava prices per truck had fallen from ₦600,000 three years ago to under ₦150,000 today.
He explained that the tractorisation scheme has enabled farmers who could only cultivate 10 acres before to now cultivate 20 acres, while over 7,000 farmers have benefited from mechanised farming this year, covering more than 21,000 acres compared to 6,000 acres the previous year. Free fertilizer distribution also supported nearly 6,000 farmers.
As part of the government’s Social & Economic Recovery (SAFER) programme, these agricultural efforts are designed to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, stabilise food supply and make Oyo a leading food-producing state. Olaleye said: “By removing the burden of fertilizer and ploughing costs, the state has made farming easier and cheaper, and that has helped to drastically lower food-item prices.”
He added that animal-husbandry support through free vaccinations for over 120,000 cattle and 89,000 sheep and goats, and poultry feed aid, have further expanded the agricultural safety net. The state is now poised to become a hub of food production, with the ultimate goal of ensuring food remains affordable for all residents
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