'AGBEKOYA': FARMERS DIS-AGREE WITH GOVERNMENT IN OYO STATE

The Livestock Farmers Association, Animal Scientists Association of Nigeria, Feed Ingredients Dealers Association and feed millers said these in a communique after their joint meeting last week said they supported the bill ‘Animal Farm, Hatchery and Feed Mill Registration Law’ that meant to regulate the livestock production, hatchery and feed milling businesses,but they were totally against exploitative, selective treatment and tendencies which the current bill represents.

Their communique read in part: “We see the bill as retrogressive, working against the drive towards entrepreneurship and resourcefulness, as well as a plan to kill the struggling sub-sector of agriculture, and therefore, should be reviewed or rejected entirely.’’

“The section that says each farm should employ a veterinary doctor should be revoked because not all farms have the capacity to employ vet doctors.’’

“We fault Section 8 (1) and (2) of the bill. The section says “The officer may seal up any farm, hatchery or feed mill under the control of any person…. A prescribed officer may after giving to the owner or agent of the owner or the person on ground as at the time of visit of the farm, hatchery or feed mill as the case may be, forty eight (48) hours previous notice in writing of his intention so to do, sell such number of such animals or feed ingredients as shall be sufficient to realize a sum of money equal to the amount of registration fees….

“With this, the bill was seeking to make the state an accuser, prosecutor and judge in its own case. This is arbitrary. Why must the government farm be exempted according to the bill? There is equality before the law, and we operate under the same economic environment. Therefore, all government farms must also be included in the bill.”

The farmers  association added that “we demand the removal of the sections that authorize the state, its agents, or any other persons so assigned to seal up and sell animals or feeds to cover the registration fees.”

Oba Adeyemi, in his response,when took the protest to his palace , had said he would never support any government to add to the burden of his subjects and people in general, promising that he would pass the message across to the government and ask his people in the Oyo State House of Assembly about the details of the bill.

He then urged the farmers, feed millers and maize dealers to be patient and law-abiding, saying that he would neither support violence nor bad leadership anywhere.