The gesture is tailored towards easing hardship, noting that such will go a long way to reduce hunger and poverty.

The Kwara Government on Wednesday supported 2,019 indigent farmers with agricultural asset items in the third phase of the Kwara Fadama CARES intervention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the items received by farmers at the ceremony included knapsack sprayers with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), Fish Smoking Kilns and Rain Gun Sprinklers.

The rest are Water Pumping Machines with accessories for fish farmers, Poultry Feeders and Drinkers, Small Ruminants, Maize shellers and Soya soybeans threshers. NAN reports that there had been two phases of disbursement by Kwara Fadama CARES earlier.

Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq unveiling the event for the ceremony of the first phase of disbursement on June 21, 2022 in Oke-Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government Area (LGA). At the event, a large number of indigent farmers got both crop inputs and assets.

Kicking off the third disbursement exercise, AbdulRazaq said interventions by Kwara Fadama CARES are tailored towards easing hardship, noting that such will go a long way to reduce hunger and poverty.

The Governor was represented by the Chairman, State Fadama Technical Committee, and Permanent Secretary, Kwara Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ishiaq Oloruko-Oba. AbdulRazaq said the items given would be monitored to ensure that they were judiciously used.

He also warned the beneficiaries against commercialisation of the asset items, adding that if the items were used effectively, the expected impact would be felt in the society.

Earlier, the State Project Coordinator, Kwara Fadama CARES, Dr Busari Isiaka, had disclosed that the Kwara Fadama CARES was premised on the objectives of the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus.

He said this was with the support of Gov. AbdulRazaq, adding that the agricultural inputs and assets distributed were free. Chronicling the statistics of Kwara Fadama CARES interventions so far, Busari observed thus: “With the support of the governor, we are giving 2,019 farmers succor today.

“In the first disbursement in 2022, 6,561 farmers benefited from both input and asset distribution, while as a sequel 8,020 beneficiaries emerged in the second phase.”

According to him, Gov. AbdulRazaq has supported 16,600 indigent farmers through the Kwara Fadama CARES so far, assuring farmers in the state of more interventions.

The flag-off event involved symbolic presentations performed by the representative of the Governor after he had been conducted round to confirm the various items to be distributed to the beneficiaries.

One of the beneficiaries, Jamiu Ahmed of Ogo-Oluwa Farmers’ User Group from Ilorin West LGA, thanked the Governor for the timely intervention. He promised that farmers would not abuse the opportunity to make the people feel the impact of the initiative.

(NAN)