Ondo farmers to get inputs soon

By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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The State Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ondo state, Mr Adeniyi Okanlawon has disclosed that farmers in the state will soon receive the second consignment of inputs .

    He made the disclosure in an interview with The Hope in his office in Akure while x-raying the achievements of the ministry in the state in the first quarter of the year.

   Okanlawon who said the consignment would arrive any moment from now said distribution to farmers would start immediately.

     “The first consignment of inputs which were distributed to farmers were used effectively and the two agric bodies in the state, Ondo State Agricultural Commodities Association (OSACA) and Farmers Congress have  thanked the Federal Government while   expecting more.

      “We have written to the headquarters, because we are out of stock here and the rainy season is about setting in. We are still expecting and as soon as they arrive, we will start distribution,” he explained.

    According to him, within the groups, some farmers are approaching the headquarters in the name of the group. Their letters passed through him and they are being given equipment like destoner and some other inputs.

      Speaking on the rural projects embarked upon by his ministry in the state, Okanlawon said electrification projects were  carried out in Adofure and Federal College of Agriculture.

    He added that boreholes were sunk in Owo, Emure and some other parts of Akure saying that the work cuts across the state and as far as Okitipupa.

    According to him, over 2,000  N-power participants were trained throughout the 18 local government areas of the state under the Agric N-power Programme of the federal government.

    Okanlawon who said that the just concluded programme in conjunction with Agric Development Project in the state lasted for three weeks noted that participants were trained by experts in various aspects of agriculture.

   He assured that the  Federal Government will give them a package to enable them stand on their own after their two years contract with government.

    “Also, the Cassava Growers Association at both the national and state levels are working on 500hectares of land at Ore. They are planting there and they got bulk of their money from the Anchor Borrowers Programme”.

   “At Owo, there is massive land clearing for cassava farmers too, ” he stressed.

      He said the National Egg Production programme where poultry farmers association in the state produce egg for the school feeding programme is on going in the state.

    According to him, they get bulk of their money from the Anchor Borrowers Programme describing the project as one of the major programmes of the Buhari led administration.

    While saying that the ministry could not do much because of the elections, he assured that they will swing into action now that the elections are over.

    He commended the Buhari- led administration for his vision and achievements in the agric sector.