As part of efforts to ensure food security in Osun State, Governor Ademola Adeleke on Friday, unveiled 31 newly purchased tractors and distributed 6,000 herbicides, 80,000 cashew seedlings, 8,000 cassava cuttings, 8,000 various vegetable seeds and 500 bags of lime to farmers, women associations, people living with disabilities and government schools with large farmlands in the state.
He disclosed that N8 Billion was used for the acquisition of the 31 tractors and farm clearing equipment within the context of due process while another N2 billion was used to purchase the farm inputs.
The Governor stated this during the unveiling and distribution ceremony held at The Agricultural Input Supply Unit, Aisu in Ede.
Adeleke promised to provide all necessary infrastructure and resources to enhance agricultural production and ensure food security for the people of State, stating that his administration have set their targets at this critical sector and they are ready to make the required investments in this regard.
He noted that no leader with conscience would be happy that his people are struggling to make ends meet and feed their families.
“At the inception of this Administration, we crafted our policy objectives and also fashioned an agenda towards their realization which was tagged the 5-Point Action Plan. We set out the objectives of this Government to include the welfare of workers, financial inclusion, localization, people-centered infrastructure upgrade as well as social sector upliftment and agro-industrialization.
“In less than two years of this Administration, we have effectively touched every aspect of the 5-Point Action Plan we set out to achieve at the inception.
“Today, 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. This is also in line with the promise made to our resourceful youthful population during the last End Bad Governance protest. We hope to provide all necessary infrastructure and resources to enhance agricultural production and ensure food security for our people. No leader with conscience would be happy that his people are struggling to make ends meet and feed their families. We have set our targets at this critical sector and we are ready to make the required investments in this regard.
“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.
“At this juncture, it is my honour and privilege to the Glory of God and for the benefit of the good people of my beloved Osun State, that I unveil these farm inputs with the hope that it will serve as humble beginning for the agro-industrial development of the State in line with the 5-Point Action Plan of this Administration”, he concluded.
Governor Adeleke also presented a cheque of N8.6 Million Naira each to two members of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Osun State Chapter, participating in the “Osun Broiler Outgrower Production Scheme” (OBOPS).
Each beneficiary is sponsored to raise two thousand (2,000) day-old broiler birds to table size within six weeks with this cycle to be repeated continuously with provision for off-takers bulk purchase.
