The governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Wednesday displayed 15 new tractors and several modern farm implements to ensure food security and sustainability.
Other implements launched included ploughs, harrows, ridgers, and a mobile workshop to properly manage the machines.
AbdulRazaq, while displaying the new tractors said mechanisation is key for the success of the crop production pillar of the agric blueprint and that the administration had kickstarted the implementation with the recent flag off of farm inputs subsidy scheme which gave at least 10,000 farmers access to improved seedlings, fertilisers and chemicals at half the market price.
The governor said, “Today’s commissioning of 15 new tractors and implements flags off the mechanisation component of the Agric transformation plan. I must mention, for the record, that our administration did not inherit any functional tractor in 2019. This step speaks to our seriousness to truly transform how we farm and put Kwara on the map of agribusiness.
“The objective of our mechanisation programme is to ensure increased output of higher value products. It will also eliminate hardship associated with agricultural production powered by human labour. This initiative has been designed to provide mechanisation services for smallholder and commercial farmers in the state.
“This is just the first in the series of our mechanisation initiative. We would be acquiring more tractors and other sophisticated equipments like combined harvesters, planters, boom sprayer and others to support our farmers and boost production. This will totally transform the way crop production is carried out in Kwara state, and ensure that mechanisation becomes the norm for all farmers in the state.
Speaker Salihu, for his part, pointed out that the administration has committed so much resource to support smallholder farmers since coming on board.
“Our farmers at the grassroots can tell the difference and we are really grateful to the Governor for the efforts,” he said.
