By Fatima Muraina
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Ondo state government will commence distribution of agricultural inputs as palliative measures to farmers from this week.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Olayato Aribo said this during an emergency meeting with farmers in Akure.
He said farmers are also captured considering the economic hardship resulting in high cost of production.
While assuring that government would continue to prioritize the interest of farmers, Aribo expressed the need for a feasibility stud, advising farmers to take agriculture as a business which he affirmed is the only way to break even in the industry.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agric and Agric business, Pastor Akin Olotu disclosed that government will be supporting farmers with inputs, tricycle for family communities, power tillers and training for the poultry farmers to know how to make feeds to reduce the cost of production in livestock.
Olotu advised the farmers to have a voice in channeling their demands to the federal government, noting that agricultural programmes should be divided into six political zones.
Earlier, in his welcome speech, the state Chairman of Agricultural Commodities Association, OSACA, Mr Gbenga Obaweya said the programme was facilitated to discuss farmers’ survival so that steps could be taken for food sustainability.
The farmers expressed their challenges, pointing particularly at insecurity, high cost of production occasioned by cost of inputs, labour, marketing, tractorization, non availability of land and bad roads.
