Oyo State Government today announced zero tolerance for farmlands being left uncultivated by owner-families, saying the government would always intervene to achieve mutual understanding between landowners and agricultural investors.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, Prince Oyewole Oyewumi said this today at a press briefing in Ibadan.

Oyewole said land, being the most important in any investment should not be made difficult to access by investors who needed it for agricultural investment, saying for optimum benefit to be derived from Nigeria’s campaign for agricultural revolution, land must be made available.

“Oyo State government’s intensive engagements with local communities have reflected that agriculture is the mainstay of a large percentage of our people but despite that the State has 2.5million hectares of arable land, investors have been experiencing difficulties in land availability.

“The government has therefore approved sensitization campaign to encourage use of land for agricultural purposes. A committee has been set up for agricultural land policy with the tag, ‘zero tolerance for idle agricultural land’ to boost production, employment and food security.”

The Commissioner urged owners of family lands and lands owned by communities to give land out to investors in farming through rent, lease or outright selling to prospective investors, promising that government would not shirk its responsility to facilitate flexible agreement between landowners and agricultural investors.

He said the State government had introduced flexibility into the program to enhance mutual cooperation between landowners and investors in their transactions.

“Government will continue to facilitate smooth transactions between landowners and agricultural investors for the State to reposition itself as the food basket of Southwest Nigeria.”