Kwara state flags-off distribution of farm inputs
The Kwara state government has flagged-off the distribution of farm inputs to farmers for this year’s raining season farming.
The state Deputy Governor, Mr Kayode Alabi, distributed the inputs at the Ministry of Agriculture Headquarters in Ilorin.
The event was attended by top government functionaries, representatives of the Minister of Agriculture and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), as well as members of the state House of Assembly, among other participants.
Kayode said the intervention became necessary due to the flood disaster that occurred last year, which resulted in the loss of livelihood of farmers in parts of the country.
“Agriculture remains the major source of food, poverty alleviation and source of raw materials for our local industries.
“However, the flood disaster that occurred in some parts of the state last year has resulted in unprecedented food crisis, increased poverty, high inflation, malnutrition and high level of unemployment.
“To solve this problem requires interventions from all levels of government including international humanitarian actors,” said the deputy governor.
Alabi explained that the state government was concerned with the challenges posed by these threat to the state socio-economic development and food security.
He however assured that the present administration remained committed to improving the standard of living of the populace through various impactful intervention programmes and projects.
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Malam AbdulLateef Alakawa, appreciated Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for providing enabling environment for the agricultural sector.
Alakawa specifically noted the prompt payment of the state counterpart funds for Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ), Livestock Productivity and Resilient Support Project (L-PRES), and the FADAMA NG CARES Project.
“The ultimate aim of these intervention programmes is to improve food security, reduce poverty and create job opportunities in the state and the country at large,” he said.
The representative of the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Godwin Oyigoga, disclosed that the distribution exercise was as a result of a report by Cadre Harmonise (CH), under the National Programme for Food Security (NPFS), which had earlier predicted the possibility of food crisis across the states of the federation; and the need to support farmers to avert the prediction.
Oyigoga, who is also the Head of Community Driven Development (CDD), NPFS Office, Abuja, commended the Kwara government collaboration and foresight towards ensuring food security in the country.
He however appealed to the state government for more financial support to Kwara Agricultural Development Project (KADP) Office and Cadre Harmonise for an improved service delivery.
In her welcome address, the Managing Director, Kwara ADP, Dr Khadijat Ahmed, appreciated both the federal and state governments for their support in delivering the agency’s mandate.
She promised that the agency would ensure that the beneficiaries of the agricultural inputs used it for the intended purpose.
