By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Farmers in Oyo State have been given herbicides, snap-sack sprayer tanks, 16kg hybrid maize seedlings, insecticide and 20 bundles of improved cassava stems.
These farm inputs were distributed to the beneficiaries by the Oyo State government through its Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) programme.
Farmers from six local government areas of the state received the items on Monday, with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, supervising the distribution.
The SAfER initiative was introduced by the state government to cushion the effect of subsidy removal by the federal government last year.
Mr Olaleye, while speaking through the Director for Regulation and Enforcement, Mr Olusegun Ezekiel, said the government was committed to enhancing quality and increasing farm produce in order to boost food security in Oyo State.
He assured that the fifth phase of the SAfER scheme in the food sector, including free vaccination for cattle, distribution of feed to goat and sheep farmers as well as subsidy on the use of tractors for farmers, will commence in the next few weeks.
The Commissioner disclosed that the distribution was ongoing simultaneously at the six local Governments in Oke Ogun, which include ATISBO, Saki West, Oorelope, Kajola, Iwajowa and Itesiwaju.
In their separate remarks, the Baale Agbe ATISBO and Oorelope, Mr Daniel Oketola; and Mr Oladunni Isaiah, respectively commended the Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, for bringing succour to farmers in the State.
While the farmer-heads noted that the distribution was timely, they urged farmers to make judicious use of the inputs.
Adedapo Adesanya