Osun Produce Board to Support Kolanut Merchants and Farmers

The newly created Osun Produce Board has disclosed its readiness to support Kola-nut farmers and merchants in the State to improve the quantity and quality of their production to an enviable and acceptable height that would attract international patronage.

The Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Osun Produce Board, Dr. Yemi Adegoke made this disclosure during a Kola-nut stakeholders meeting held at the Local Government Civil Service Commission Hall at the New Secretariat.
Dr. Yemi Adegoke said that it has become necessary to scale up Kola-nut farming and trading from indigenous activities to an internationally recognised business.
He said that, it is part of the mandate of the Osun Produce Board to ensure that all agricultural produce from the State without exclusion are of high quality standard that meets international requirement for export purpose.
He maintained that, sooner, all agricultural produce from Osun would be graded, branded and certified for its quality before exporting in order to showcase the quality of Osun agricultural produce to the world.
Dr. Adegoke therefore assured all members of the Kola-nuts Association of Nigeria, Osun branch and Kola-nut farmers in the State that once their Agric product is of high quality standard that pass the grading test, Osun Produce Board would link them up with the available market within and outside the Country without stress.
Earlier, the Director of Operations, Osun Produce Board, Mr. Olukayode Arewa had hinted that, the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola has approved the grading of kola nut for export purposes which will commence from 17th of July, 2017.
Mr. Arewa therefore assured farmers and merchants of the needed training on storage and quality control, noting that from July 17th of this year, it would be an unlawful and punishable offence for any merchant to export kola-nuts out of Osun without proper grading.
Other speakers at the meeting include the National Chairman, Kola-nuts Association Of Nigeria, Alagba Babadara, State Chairman, Alhaji Karimu Giwa and the State Secretary, Alhaji Morufu Babalola who all appreciated Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola for the support given to the association, adding that no government has ever deemed it fit to support their association.
They all promised to comply with the government directives on grading of kola nuts as a means to boost kola nut
business in the State.