The government of kwara State has done a lot to encourage farmers in the state. This was stated by Oloruntoyosi Thomas, Kwara State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development. The commissioner enumerated the areas where authorities in the state have assisted farmers while briefing the media recently. According to the commissioner, the administration of Governor Abdurahman Abdurazak has distributed assorted farm inputs to crop farmers, constructed and rehabilitated livestock facilities across the State. And these are just part of the major success stories in the agricultural sector in the State.
Yusuf Ganiyu Adebisi, Press Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, states this in a statement reporting the interministerial press briefing in Ilorin, capital of kwara State. Adebisi quoted Thomas as saying this during the press briefing, conducted by the State Ministry of Communications, held at the conference room of the Ministry of Finance headquarters.
The Commissioner, while rolling out the present administration’s achievements in the sector, said the ministry ensured that interventions were given to the real and verifiable farmers in the state.
Thomas said that 3,400 rice farmers under the umbrella of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) Kwara Chapter, were given both N:P: K& Urea fertilizers across the State, adding that another intervention for 10,000 various categories of farmers was carried out, where farm inputs such as fertilisers, agro chemicals and seeds were distributed to the beneficiaries.
Thomas, who explained the efforts of the administration on human capital development said that the State government, through the Ministry has trained Agric extension agents to improve their skills in efficient service delivery.
According to her, that the State government also facilitated the sponsorship of 14 youths to participate in specialised training at the Soilless Farm Lab in Ogun State.
She explained that an additional 7,000 maize farmers, 2,000 rice farmers, and 1,000 soybean farmers were empowered in the second quarter of the year to improve their livelihoods.
She said, “As part of the deliberate effort in developing the livestock sector of the State, the State government through the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has constructed and rehabilitated solar powered boreholes in various strategic places for both communal and livestock use across the State, in addition to the construction and installation of 60 tonnes solar powered cold storage facility in Akerebiata Abbatoir, as well as the rehabilitation of cold chain facility for storage of vaccine and other biologicals at the veterinary clinic in Ilorin.”
The government did not stop at that. It also took steps to improve facilities aimed at improving the health of the people in the state. To this end, the government, towards safeguarding the public health of the populace, rehabilitated and equipped the State veterinary clinic with modern state-of-the-art facilities. This, she said, was to ensure the enhancement of service delivery in the animal health sector in order to prevent zoonotic disease.
The efforts, the commissioner explained, include the state-wide vaccination against anthrax would soon commence with the procurement of over 350,000 doses of anthrax vaccine through the L-PRES Project.
Other notable achievements mentioned included; rehabilitation of two slaughter slabs in Kwara Central, Procurement of 110 fodder chopper/crop residue crusher, Procurement of 70 number pasture compacting and pelleting machine and training of 300 Extension Agents/Farmers on Small Ruminant Production and Crop Residue processing for improved utilisation by ruminants among others.