The on-going nationwide registration of farmers is targeted at capturing some 20 million farmers across the country, an official has said.

The exercise is part of the Federal Government Agriculture Transformation Agenda, according to Mr Yahaya Owoyale, an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

He said in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara that the exercise is aimed at registering genuine farmers across the country.

"This, we hope, will assist in doing away with those bureaucratic bottlenecks and facilitate the prompt disbursement of materials and other incentives for the benefits of the farmers under the scheme.” he said.

He listed some of the benefits to include provision of improved seedlings, fertilisers, tractor hiring facilities, provision of fingerling as well as granting of credit facilities; and went further to say that the exercise which commenced in 2012, is expected to register an estimated five million farmers yearly to meet up with 20 million target nationwide in 2015.

 The registration exercise is expected to take place across every ward in each of the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with particular emphasis on the grassroots where the bulk of local farmers resides,” he said.