Date: 2017-03-09

The Kwara state government has restated his commitment to ensure that farmers in the state are equipped with modern technologies to enhance their productivity.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Adegoke Bamidele stated this on Wednesday while answering questions from VON in Ilorin the state capital.

According to him, the state government is set to empower farmers through an effective coordination of needs and providing access to agricultural inputs and services.

Mr Bamidele noted that the sixteen local government areas in the state had been directed to provide hectares of lands for farming, and commended the State House of Assembly for queuing into the agricultural policy of the state government through the acquisition of lands for this year's farming season.

He said the state government would lease out tractors to farmers to embark on large scale farming operations.

The State Commissioner however, called on Nigerians to participate massively in farming, which would not only ensure food security in the country, but would also enhance growth of the economy.

Also speaking in a related interview, the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Agriculture and Rural Water Support Service, Mr. Anu Ibiwoye said the State is leading in the implementation of the Agricultural Value Chain designed to institutionalize planned agriculture to offer investors the opportunity to maximize yield along the chain and also economically empower the farmers.

While speaking on the Off-taker Driven Demand Agriculture, Mr. Ibiwoye, said the one billion naira loan provided for farmers through the scheme would be disbursed to real farmers in the state.

He added that attention would be focused on crops such as rice, soya beans and maize.

Mr. Ibiwoye said the project was designed to create jobs opportunity for the youths and promote state-wide adoption of successful commercial agriculture.

Speaking in the same vein, the State Coordinator, Kwara Agro Mall, Mr. Temitope Amoju, said the State government is established Agriculture Malls as one-stop shop for agro-finance, farm inputs, equipment and extension services based on the value chain concept.

Mr Amujo urged farmers to use the opportunity of the Mall to strengthen their products and improve on modern farming.

He therefore, called on youth to take advantage of all available windows for self-sustainability to empower themselves instead of the endlessly search for white collar jobs.

In his contribution, the State Chief Operating Officer the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Mr Segun Soewu said the MSME deals with policy matters relating to the MSME sector and formulates schemes for the development of the sector.

Mr. Soewu said the state Governor, Mr Abdulfatai Ahmed has pledged full support for MSMEs to create more jobs and improve the economy.

According to him, the registration by farmers under the MSME would commence on Monday next week and would last for two weeks.

Mr Soewu implored farmers to participate in the exercise towards giving a reliable for data base farmers in the state.