Kwara partners Flour Mills to support 2,000 maize farmers with improved seeds, inputs

The Kwara State Government has launched an agricultural support programme for 2,000 maize farmers, providing them with improved drought-resistant maize seeds, herbicides, pesticides, NPK and urea fertilisers, extension services and a guaranteed market for their produce through a partnership with Flour Mills of Nigeria.

The initiative is designed to boost maize production, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen Kwara’s position as a major agricultural hub.

Speaking on the programme, the Supervising Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Oloruntoyosi Thomas, said the intervention adopts a value-chain approach by supporting farmers from production to marketing.

She said beneficiaries would not only receive improved seeds and farm inputs but would also benefit from continuous extension services throughout the production cycle and a guaranteed off-take arrangement with Flour Mills of Nigeria after harvest.

According to her, the programme reflects the commitment of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration to expanding farmers’ access to improved technologies, quality agricultural inputs and reliable markets.

Thomas said the ministry, in collaboration with Flour Mills of Nigeria, had trained Agricultural Extension Officers and Heads of Department of Agriculture from the state’s 16 local government areas on the cultivation of the PAC 105 maize variety, a high-yielding, drought-resistant hybrid with strong resistance to diseases and changing weather conditions.

She explained that the variety was selected because of its adaptability to local conditions and its potential to deliver higher yields.

Represented at the training by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Funke Sokoya, the commissioner said the government is prioritising farming communities affected by banditry to enable displaced farmers to return to their farms and rebuild their livelihoods.

She also disclosed that plans were underway for dry season farming to promote year-round agricultural production and improve food security across the state.

Thomas urged maize farmers to embrace the improved farming practices and extension services provided, noting that the success of the programme would depend on the proper use of the inputs and adherence to recommended agronomic practices.

The training, held at the ministry’s headquarters in Ilorin, was facilitated by the Value Chain Manager of Flour Mills of Nigeria, Kolawole Amos, who trained participants on the agronomic requirements for cultivating the PAC 105 maize variety.

Participants also took part in practical field demonstrations on planting techniques, fertiliser application, plant spacing and other best agronomic practices aimed at achieving optimum yields.