The Oyo State Government, in partnership with the Federal Government, commenced the free distribution of 21,000 bags of assorted fertilisers to over 10,500 farmers in the state on Tuesday.
The distribution event took place at the OYSADA Warehouse, Fertilizer Store, in the Laniya, Ojongbodu area of Oyo town.
Declaring the event open, Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, described the initiative as a testament to Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration’s commitment to increasing food production and boosting the state’s economy.
Olaleye highlighted that the gesture aims to improve crop productivity, enhance food security, and increase the income of rural farmers.
He emphasized the state government’s dedication to boosting agricultural productivity and positioning farmers for sustainable growth and prosperity.
“The administration is aware of the challenges of insecurity and soaring prices of agricultural production inputs faced by farmers in this state. As a result, we have given approval to the requests by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development through Sustainable Action for Economic Reform to procure and distribute various agricultural inputs at the beginning of this season,” Olaleye stated.
He noted that the inputs include tonnes of maize seed, soybean seed, knapsack sprayers, and agro-chemicals to build the resilience of farmers against economic shocks.
Speaking during the event, the state Coordinator for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Kakulu Omonele, represented by ministry officer Bilkis Abdulateef, explained that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had donated about 100,000 metric tonnes (2,000,000 bags) of assorted fertilizer to the Federal Government to support food production and enhance food security in Nigeria.
“President Bola Tinubu had directed the CBN to hand over the assorted brands of fertilizers to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for onward allocation and distribution to all states and the FCT for further distribution to farmers in their various states,” Abdulateef said.
She commended the efforts of the Oyo State Government for promptly evacuating its consignment within the specified period and urged the beneficiaries to utilize the fertilizers for their intended purpose.
However, approximately 250 farmers from the Akinyele Local Government Area of the state received two bags of fertilizers each to boost their agricultural businesses.