By Akinnodi Francis, Ondo

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been commended for his timely response to agricultural challenges in Ondo State.

It will be recalled that the governor recently ordered the registration of all genuine farmers across the 18 local government areas in the state.

Special Assistant on Mobilisation to the state governor, Hon. Olayinka Olakanmi, said the initiative was developed to eliminate the diversion of agricultural interventions.

He said Aiyedatiwa’s responsiveness to the challenges facing the agricultural sector in the state is a fundamental solution to food scarcity and economic development.

He explained that the state would leverage technology to ensure that only real farmers benefit from any government support.

According to him, “No doubt, this is a step in the right direction and at the right time, as it is mainly to identify who the real farmers are, what they grow, and where they farm, so that the government can provide adequate assistance.

“Having a database of farmers across the 18 local government areas of the state will go a long way in ensuring that government support and provisions reach the real farmers, correcting the lackluster past where most of the government’s gestures towards farmers were given to the wrong people. This made it appear as if the government was doing nothing about agriculture and agribusiness development.”

“Establishing a tractor unit in each senatorial district of the state will greatly ease the activities of farmers on the field.”

He added, “Kudos to the concept of ‘Our Ease’ led by His Excellency Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who is touching every sector to ensure that the people of the Sunshine State benefit from the ongoing Renewed Hope initiative led by the Federal Government.”

“I use this avenue to call on all genuine farmers—youths, men, and women—who are actively involved in agribusiness to visit the OSAEC portal using this link https://www.osaec.org.ng to register and become beneficiaries of the ‘Our Ease’ programme in the agricultural sector of the state government.”

Olakanmi described the exercise as part of the government’s commitment to ending politically motivated interventions and ensuring that support reaches only those actively engaged in farming activities.