Osun Food Price Inflation Highest In South West – Report

• Govt. Not Supporting Farming – Ex-AFAN Chair

• Adeleke Doing Everything Backward – Guber Aspirant

Food is costlier in Osun than in any other state in the South-West. 

A report by a data company and artificial intelligence platform, StatiSense, revealed that Osun has the highest food price inflation among the six South Western states of Nigeria and is 6th among the states with such a situation in Nigeria. 

StatiSense ranked Osun the first with the highest food price inflation in the zone, at 33.32 per cent.

The company reeled out the figure on its verified X handle (Twitter), on Sunday, through data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). 

In the report, Ekiti was closely following Osun with 32.05% food price inflation, followed by Oyo (31.69%), Ondo (30.68%), Ogun (29.65%), and Lagos (29.21%), respectively.

The statistics revealed that the food price inflation rate is higher than the zonal average in the three states of Osun, Ekiti, and Oyo.

Meanwhile, residents of Osun had for months been complaining bitterly about the sudden hike in the prices of food items, stating that foodstuffs and other essential commodities are on the high side.

Reacting to the report on Wednesday, a former Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Osun state chapter, Alhaji Sulaimon Araokanmi, has attributed the inflation on food items to the challenges facing farmers.

Araokanmi said farmers in Osun have been left to their fate, saying Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration has not been supporting farming or assisting the farmers in any way.

According to Araokanmi, the challenges will no doubt reflect on the prices of food items and other commodities.

He lamented that the prices of farming inputs and materials have skyrocketed, saying that the cost of farming will determine the price of farm produce.

The ex-AFAN chairman also complained about the high cost of renting some farm equipment, such as tractors, and ploughs, submitting that the cost of production will determine the market price of any good.

He maintained that farmers spent a lot of money sustaining their farms before harvesting time.

Araokanmi said: “I’m a cocoa farmer; I also grow cassava, yam, and fruits. We are facing a variety of challenges due to the fact that the government is not supporting us. The amount we use to rent farm equipment and buy chemicals is alarming. That would have an effect on food prices. But if the government is supporting us with chemicals and other farm tools, the price of food will fall. 

“We have lands to cultivate and plant more foods, but we have little resources to bring tractors and plough the land. We plead with the state government to help us. The government has not been supporting farmers in the state.”

Speaking with the medium, a grain farmer in Olaoluwa local government who identified himself simply as Alhaji Arowosedo noted that the government needs to address the farmers/herders clash issue in some of the rural areas in Osun, saying that is contributing to low food production in the state.

Arowosedo called on the state government to provide support for farmers and also put in place adequate security in farming areas in the state. 

He said: “Herders are destroying our farms; the government should critically look into that. We need more security in farming areas. The government should also support farmers by providing or subsidising farm inputs. We will factor in what we expended on our farms when it is time to sell the farm produce.  

In his reaction, to the statistics by StantiSense, an economist in the state, Prince Kanmi Ademiluyi, noted that the inflation figure shows that successive governments in Osun have not done much in the agriculture sector, saying the Ministry of Agriculture is contestable.

Ademiluyi called on the state government to engage more in mechanised farming and put up storage facilities for surplus food in Osun.

He chided the state government for putting more money into building flyovers in the urban areas while neglecting the rural areas.

Ademiluyi said: “In terms of land mass, Osun is a remotely urbanised state in the South West. The statistics by StatiSense show that successive governments in the state have not done much in the agriculture sector. The state ministry of agriculture is contestable.

“The state government needs to engage more in mechanised farming. They should also put up more storage facilities. We should ask ourselves how many tractors we have in the state. They should increase the number of tractors we have in the state to assist farmers.

“We are experiencing this inflation because many of the rural roads in the state are deplorable. 

“Instead of wasting money, building flyovers in the urban centers, why can’t the government focus more on the agriculture sector and rural areas? According to the World Bank, 1km of road in a rural area has a 10-fold multiplier effect on the state economy and the prices of agricultural commodities. 

“The amount farmers getting tractors is high. Also, good provisions should be made for perishable items. The Osun State Government should invest in market women dealing in perishables. A good storage facility should be made available for perishables goods.

“The state government should set up a commodity board. They will buy farm produce and distribute it to the market while they would store some. That will stabilise food prices in the state.”

In his reaction, the gubernatorial candidate for the Young Progressive Party (YPP) at the 2022 Osun governorship poll, Dr. Ademola Bayonle, berated Governor Ademola Adeleke for not giving the agriculture sector a priority, saying 2% of the entire 2024 budget was allocated to agriculture.

Bayonle in a post on his X account (formerly Twitter) said Adeleke’s administration is more interested in giving a large percentage of the budget to his allies.

He wrote: “How is Osun state working on recovery? For 2024 (personnel+ recurrent + capital) expenditure, Osun “the agrarian” state budgeted less than 2% (about 4.5 billion)of the entire budget (273.9 bn)  for agriculture.

“You have given more (about 10 billion) to the Oyewusi family-husband and wife, linked to the bridge contract than the whole Osun state (5.1 million people) for food.

“It’s even shameful to claim the marginal drop when we all understand seasonal fluctuation in food prices. And of the three states in the South-West with similar inflation rates, guess which one is still topping the chat?

“The priorities of your administration are on bridges and tunnels, the rest of us can starve to death. We will wait for Imole Youth Corp, I hope all your family members will also enroll.

“So much of an agrarian state! Your drop is not dropping and your recovery is still in ICU. 

“It’s heartless to say “without offering any solution”, a kid of today knows that the problem we have is basic amenities which food is 1. I have posted about this several times. The last time I mentioned it, I stated about 10 reasons we need to focus on food.

“If DAB lies, Data don’t lie! The people of Osun are now buying food at the most expensive price in SW. Building a bridge is not the solution to that. There is no congestion in Osun that first principles can’t fix. A state still using minibuses for god sake!

“AND this is not about politics. Becoming a governor is a privilege, it is an enormous commitment. I do not pander to self-interest or political party, it would be madness for me to know what I know and pander to politicians. The state needs to grow period!

“For you, it’s never about the message, it’s always the messenger!

“If Adeleke makes Osun great today, I will be his fan for life. Your administration is doing everything backward.”