By Bisola Adeyemo
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has called on stakeholders and investors to establish cattle ranches as a way of benefiting from the potential and vast grassland in the state.
Abiodun made the call when he hosted the Chairman, Board of Council, Ogun State Chambers of Commerce, Mine and Agriculture (OGUNCCIMA), Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson to his office on Tuesday.
According to him, the previous call for the establishment of a cattle ranch in the state has started yielding fruits as a French Dairy firm has set up a ranch at Odeda Local Government Area, to produce milk and meat.
Daily post quoted him as saying “We want to encourage people to come and invest in cattle ranching in Ogun State. There is a big business opportunity in ranching in the state. This will discourage the incessant farmers/clashes which pose a security challenge in the country.
“A French company known for production of high quality dairy products is operating a ranch at Odeda. They not only produce milk, but meat”, the governor noted.
He commended Abeokuta Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ABEOCCIMA) for exposing the agricultural potentials of the state to the outside world, adding that the sector is a triple barrel that is helping his administration in solving unemployment by turning people to entrepreneurs in agriculture and ensuring food security in the state.
While intimating that his administration was out to make a lasting impression through the provision of basic infrastructure particularly in the transportation sector, the governor maintained that the focus on road construction, which runs into thousands of kilometres, was to open up the state for genuine investors.
He, however, called on members of ABEOCCIMA to join his administration in taking the state to greater heights.
“Infrastructure is one of our key enablers an it is fundamental to the state to continue to be the industrial capital of the country. We must continue to ensure that we tap from our closeness to Lagos and gain from its expansion by providing infrastructure to those who are coming to our state to live or do business”, Abiodun stated.