Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Friday unveiled 31 newly purchased tractors for the use of farmers in the state to boost food production.
He also inaugurated the distribution of agricultural inputs for farmers association, including persons with disabilities across the state in a move to guarantee food security.
Speaking before unveiling the tractors at Agricultural Inputs Supply Unit, AISU, Ede, Osun State, he said his administration has committed N10 billion to the sector to ensure adequate food production.
“We are distributing 6,000 herbicides, 80,000 cashew seedlings, 8,000 cassava cuttings, 8,000 various vegetable seeds and 500 bags of Lime to our farmers, women associations, people living with disabilities and government schools with large farmlands. We are equally unveiling 31 newly purchased tractors with full implements for the use of our farmers in Osun State which is the first phase of this project. These tractors will be released to farmers cooperative societies and associations after all necessary administrative procedures have been concluded.
“I also wish to inform the public that the state is committing N8 Billion for the acquisition of tractors and farm clearing equipment within the context of due process and another N2 billion worth of farm input support”, he said.
Earlier in his address, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Tola Faseru, stated that the tractors will be distributed on Public Private Partnership among Farmers Associations, Youths, Women and People Living with Disabilities, PWD, and others for their farm operations.
He disclosed further that the governor would present a cheque of N8.6 million to each poultry farmer participating in the Osun Broiler Outgrower Production Scheme, OBOPS, as each of them would be sponsored to raise 2,000 day-old broiler birds to table size within six weeks and the cycle will be repeated continuously and the off taker will buy back from each farmer.
“We now have herbicides, Cashew seedlings, Cassava cuttings, various vegetable seeds, bags of Lime and others, for free distribution to Osun farmers. It will interest you to hear that all Primary and Secondary Schools will be empowered with vegetables and arable seeds for planting after their resumption by September, 2024 and make them inclusive in the food security value chain,” Faseru added
