Two hundred and sixty farmers from Iseyin, Kajola, and Iwajowa local governments in Oyo state experienced a moment of excitement as they received agricultural inputs, including cassava cuttings, rice seeds, tomato seeds, maize seeds, herbicides, and fertilizers.
This initiative aligns with Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde’s commitment to easing the hardships faced by farmers across the 33 local governments impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The OYO-Cares program, in collaboration with the World Bank under the Oyo State Agribusiness Agency (OYSADA), facilitated this support.
During the distribution at Iseyin Local Government Secretariat, Mr. Kolawole Adewumi Bamigbola, the state coordinator for Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus, Result Area 2, informed journalists that a total of 260 beneficiaries were comprised of cassava, rice, maize, and tomato farmers across the three local governments. Among them, 30 were rice farmers and 50 were tomato farmers from Iseyin Local Government, each receiving 10kg of rice seeds, emergence and post-emergence herbicides.
In Kajola local government, 80 beneficiaries consisted of 70 cassava farmers and 10 rice farmers.
At the distribution in Okeho, 70 cassava farmers received 20 bundles of cassava cuttings, NPK fertilizer, and herbicide, while 10 rice farmers received rice seeds, pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides, and NPK fertilizer.
In Iwajowa local government, 100 farmers were beneficiaries, including 30 maize farmers and 70 cassava farmers. Maize farmers received seeds, NPK fertilizer, and herbicides, while cassava farmers received cuttings, NPK fertilizer, and herbicide.
A beneficiary, Alhaja Adediran Mutiat, a tomato farmer, expressed gratitude to Governor Makinde for his continuous support, and Mallam Bello Muhammed, a rice farmer, praised the timely assistance provided, emphasizing the significance of the received items for local farmers.
The Executive Chairman of Iseyin Local Government, represented by Mr. Oyebisi Abraham Oyedokun, and Acting Chairman of Kajola local government, Hon. Gideon Oyediran Bolanle, lauded Governor Seyi Makinde for his support. They encouraged beneficiaries to maximize the use of the inputs to complement the state government’s efforts in ensuring food security across all geographical zones.