Kwara Records Success In New Agric Scheme

The Kwara State government last year, launched a programme called Off Taker Demand Driven Agricultural Programme with the aim of improving the economic well being of farmers and ensuring that farming profession is attractive.

The initiative which involved the government getting buyers for the produce of the farmers also saw 172 of them receiving 250 a million naira loan.

The Kwara State governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, last year held a meeting with representatives of the farmers in the State on how to further revamp the agricultural sector.

After a lengthy discussion , the government divided the farmers into co operatives and distributed 250 million naira loans to them in which traditional rulers were to serve as guarantors.

Each of the 172 farmers received an average of 1.2 million naira to aid them in the cultivation of farm produce.

With the distribution of the cheques, the farmers were expected to cultivate four crops namely: rice, cassava , maize and soya beans.

According to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Kayode Towoju, the government ensured there would be no wastage of the produce by getting buyers for the farmers.

A visit to the 100 plots of land farms owned by one of the beneficiaries revealed the success of the programme as the cassava grower noted that he had made millions of naira in the first and second phases of the programme.

For the programme to have a sustainable positive impact on agricultural development in the state, the Chairman of the scheme, Mr Adeshina Olatunji urged the government to step up farm mechanisation and increase the pool of agricultural loan funds.