The Kwara State Government has reassured subsistence farmers in the State of its commitment to their upliftment through its phases of intervention programmes in the agriculture sector.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mallam Gidado Alakawa, gave the assurance in Ilorin during a stakeholder's engagement with the Zuru Farming Community in Adewole Ward, Ilorin West Local Government Area of the State.

The Commissioner explained that subsistence farmers have a critical role to play in achieving the present Administration's agricultural transformation plan, with a resolve to make agriculture the revenue hub of the state economy.

According to him, this is translating to increase in the number of people involved in agricultural activities in the State.

Mallam Alakawa said the Zuru Community, is a major farming bloc dealing in large scale plantation of various crops farming for domestic consumption and exports, to complement employment opportunities, increase revenue generation and ensuring food security in the state and the country at large.

He assured the visiting team of the state government's consideration of its request in its all-year-round farming programme and other ongoing agricultural intervention programmes.

Earlier in his remarks, the facilitator, Mr. Tejidini Olayinka had disclosed that Zuru is a large farming Community in Adewole area, contributing its quotas to the economic development of the state.

“Zuru Community is a sub-set within the state and contributing to the economy of the state through its farming activities and its value chain process in the state”, Olayinka observed.

The Zuru farmers, he said, wanted the state government to empower them through the provision of improved seedlings, agro-chemicals, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs and machineries that would enhance their farming activities.