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From Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti
The Ekiti State Government has taken delivery of tractors, farm implements, agro-chemicals and other farm supplements as part of the Buhari administration’s support for farmers in the state.
Governor Fayemi who received samples of the items in Ado Ekiti from the State Coordinator of National Agricultural Land Development Agency (NALDA), Mr Adekunle Adeniyi, said the donation was a demonstration of the Buhari administration’s commitment to supporting farmers across the length and breadth of the country.
Fayemi disclosed that he made the demand for Federal Government support for farmers at Oke Ako and Irele axis when the Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne and his team visited Ekiti State recently.
He commended the agency for keeping to its promises, adding that it would support the government’s intention to achieve food security as one of the cardinal points of his administration’s programme.
Noting that the tractors received would assist farmers in land clearing, development and management, Fayemi revealed that he has saddled the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Olabode Adetoyi and the DG, Office of Transformation, Strategy and Delivery (OTSD), Prof Bolaji Aluko, to retrieve unserviceable tractors dotted across the state for fixing in other to assist farmers during this planting season.
‘The pesticides, the herbicides, the fertilisers that accompany the tractors that have come is clearly a demonstration of the passion of Buhari’s administration to agriculture
‘This is something that has not happened in the country in a long while, NALDA is doing this in virtually every state where they have identified a landed area given by the state and they are supporting farmers across the length and breadth of the country to grow crops and to receive support from government and synergising that with what our ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is doing can only be better for farmers and this is a major pillar of this administration.
‘Agriculture and rural development are dear to us and these tractors would go a long way in clearing land, developing the land and ensuring that the lands are better managed.
‘Ultimately, we don’t run the risk of food insecurity in the state which is number one, yes we do have farmers-herders- clashes, even at that, the Commissioner and his team have been working with the security to reduce the level of problem that we are encountering in that area and I know that collectively we will resolve it,’ he said.
Earlier, the State Coordinator of NALDA, Mr Adekunle Adeniyi commended Governor Fayemi for demonstrating strong political will and commitment to transforming agriculture in the state. He disclosed that seeds, fertiliser, tractors and other farm supplements would soon arrive in the state.
Also the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Olabode Adetoyi explained that NALDA has cleared 100 hectares out of the 1,200 hectares available for farmers along Oke Ako and Irele axis.
He listed other supports received from NALDA to include 2 by 75 horsepower tractors with implements, 4.5 kilometres road surface dressing, 3.6 kilometres earth road clearing, 4 solar power boreholes for dry season farming.
Other supports in form of pesticide and insecticide include 200 litres of weed crushers, 400 litres of clear weed, 200 litres of relifuron and others.
