The Kwara State Government has extended agricultural support to 235,567 farmers and vulnerable households through the distribution of farm inputs, productive assets and processing equipment aimed at boosting food production and alleviating food insecurity.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq flagged off the distribution of an additional 49,337 agricultural inputs and equipment under the FADAMA CARES 2.0 programme, bringing the reported number of beneficiaries from previous and current phases to 235,567.
The programme is implemented under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES), supported by the World Bank.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Ilorin, AbdulRazaq said the intervention was designed to address challenges confronting farmers, including high input costs, unpredictable weather, inadequate equipment and difficulties in transporting and processing agricultural produce.
“Our duty is to remove these barriers and obstacles so that their labour pays,” the governor said.
He disclosed that 186,230 beneficiaries had previously received support under the programme, comprising 54,332 people who benefited from inputs and services and 131,898 who received productive and processing assets across 10 agricultural value chains.
According to him, the latest phase would support another 49,337 beneficiaries with rice, maize and soybean production inputs, as well as equipment including knapsack sprayers, water pumps, power tillers and rice mills.
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Other items earmarked for distribution include cassava-processing equipment, fish-smoking kilns and commercial boats.
The governor said the initiative was expected to help farmers increase production, minimise losses, improve processing, access wider markets and earn better incomes.
He urged beneficiaries to treat the inputs and equipment as investments rather than handouts, stating that women and young people would also have opportunities to benefit from the intervention.
The Commissioner for Livestock, who supervises the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Olohuntoyosi Thomas, said the state government had deployed 48 tractors and two D&R Caterpillar bulldozers to support farming activities and expand mechanisation across the 16 local government areas.
Thomas also disclosed that 2,016 farmers in the state had received 8,064 bags of NPK fertiliser through the Nigerian Government’s Renewed Hope Farm Input Support Programme.
She acknowledged the contributions of development partners, private-sector investors, farmers’ associations and traditional institutions to the development of agriculture in the state.
The Commissioner for Finance and Chairman of the State NG-CARES Steering Committee, Dr Hauwa Nuru, said Kwara was among the leading states in programme delivery and reimbursement.
Sustainable Economic Growth
He said the intervention demonstrated the state government’s commitment to empowering farmers, improving livelihoods, strengthening food security and promoting sustainable economic growth.
The State Project Coordinator of FADAMA NG-CARES, Dr. Busari Toyin Isiaka, described FADAMA CARES 2.0 as the agricultural component of NG-CARES, supported by additional financing from the World Bank.
He said the programme was designed to improve agricultural production, reduce post-harvest losses, enhance food security and strengthen beneficiaries’ incomes.
In his remarks, the State Chairman of the Federated FADAMA Community Association, Isiaka Falala, commended the governor for his support for farmers and efforts to improve the agricultural sector.
