ODSG reaffirms levies on polygon mapping and agroforestry as it suspends land, registration levies
By Adeola Abdulmalik
The Ondo State Government has announced the suspension of all levies previously imposed on farmers operating within the state’s forest reserves for the current and next fiscal years. The move, according to the Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Engr. Leye Akinola, is part of broader reforms aimed at easing the financial burden on farmers and ensuring the long-term sustainability of agricultural activities in the state.
The levies suspended are only the annual ₦20,000 land use charge and the farmers’ registration and capturing levies for the years 2025 and 2026 and not the Polygon Mapping and Agro-Forestry levies of N150,000 and N100,000 respectively which requires each farmer to pay a levy of ₦250,000 per hectare .
Speaking during a media briefing in Akure today , Akinola said the decision reflects the government’s commitment under Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to support farmers while regularising their operations in line with environmental standards and global market requirements.
“The government is not against our farmers. We have suspended all levies for this year and next to reduce their burden as we implement mapping and sustainability programmes that will protect their livelihoods and the environment,” Akinola stated.
The Commissioner explained that the suspension comes as part of a wider initiative to help cocoa and other cash crop farmers comply with the European Union Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR), which takes effect on December 30, 2025.
He noted that the government’s ongoing polygon mapping and agroforestry programmes would help trace and certify farmlands, enabling farmers in Ondo State—the nation’s leading cocoa producer—to continue accessing European markets after the new regulation takes effect.
“By the end of next year, any farmer who is not properly mapped or whose farm cannot be traced may lose access to European buyers. That’s why the government is intervening now—to protect their future and the state’s position as Nigeria’s largest cocoa producer,” he added.
Akinola further disclosed that the state is investing heavily in forest mapping, legislation, and environmental monitoring to ensure full compliance with international standards. He said the government’s forthcoming Forest Management Law and distribution of tree seedlings under the agroforestry scheme would help restore degraded forest reserves and legalise the activities of long-term farmers operating within them.
“We are not driving anyone away. We are formalising their operations so they can farm legally, responsibly, and sustainably,” he said.
He also appealed to exporters and stakeholders in the cocoa value chain to cooperate with the state government, stressing that accurate data collection from both forest and non-forest areas is vital for the success of the EUDR compliance process.
“We are open for business. This is about saving the future of cocoa in Ondo State. With collective effort, we can increase production from 80,000 metric tonnes to 240,000 tonnes within four years,” he said.
Akinola called on the media to assist in sensitising farmers about the government’s reforms, describing the initiative as a collective effort to protect livelihoods and the environment.
“This is not just a government project, it’s a shared responsibility. We must act together so that our farmers can thrive, our forests can recover, and our environment can remain sustainable,” he concluded.
