AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Oyo State Government has commenced the distribution of biometric cards for members of the Youth Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness Project in the state through the State Agribusiness Development Agency.
According to Dr. Debo Akande, the Director General of OYSADA, the card would help in phasing out fraud in the agricultural sector.
He explained that the state government, through OYSADA, was piloting the digitalization of agriculture through the development of a database of farmers and the YEAP members across the 33 local government council areas of the state.
He stressed that the residence biometric system could be used to open other benefits such as the health scheme and the agric financing initiative among other things.
In a related development, about 30 farmers have received farm assets such as knapsack sprayers with protective kits for some YEAP members specialize in cassava and maize cultivation.
Ten livestock farmers in the local government also went home with one sheep and one ram as 10 cassava and maize farmers collected a maize thresher machine to ease their activities.
In Kajola Local Government Area, Okeho, 10 livestock farmers, including YEAP members shared 200 point-of-lay birds, while 10 farmers, who specialized in cassava farming, collected one casava greater and presser.
Twenty-seven cassava and maize farmers received two knapsack sprayers and protective kits each at Ago Amodu, Saki East Local government. Ten YEAP cassava and maize farmers were given two knapsack sprayers and a personal protective equipment each in ATISBO Local Government Area of the state.
In Tede, 20 farmers were given mechanical weeder machines.
Alhaja Rahamat Mosunmade, chairman, Saki East LGA, received the delegates of the Oyo State N-CARES and OYSADA in her officer alongside the head of local government administrative, Alhaji Jubril Alaga; Supervisor for Agriculture, Mr. Kayode Ogunyale; Director of Agric, Alhaji Bashiru Ibrahim; and the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abdullah Najeem.
She lauded Governor Seyi Makinde over the farmers intervention scheme and urged the beneficiaries of the farm assets to make good use of them for the advancement of their farms.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Olalekan Blessing Olugbenga, a livestock farmer from Kajola, Okeho, expressed appreciation to the governor on the initiative. Oyo N-Cares and OYSADA intervention project.
Also, Bamikale Oluwaseun, a farmer from Okeho who received 20 point-of-lay birds thanked the government for giving a helping hand to farmers.
Asiru Nafisat Yetunde from Ogunbado Isalu, ward 7, Iseyin Local Government Area lauded the authorities for the support given to them. She said, “I’m a university graduate, and I’m into cassava and maize farming. This is what I’m doing for living and I’m proud of it.
“The state government has done a lot for me and my colleagues for sponsoring us to Nasarawa State for agricultural training and I’m glad today because the training has opened our eyes and mindset to mechanical farming. This support is coming at the right time for me and my colleagues.”
Mr. Musbau Hamsat from Ilero town; Yekini Fatima, a local farmer from Ado-Awaye; Adelere Adeoti, from Iseyin; Ajibola Ganiyu from Jalumi, Dauda Ayoade Raimat, a livestock farmer from Iseyin, Alaya Aishat and Sulimon Utman Niyi, praised the initiative of the state government.
The state project coordinator, Oyo State CARES, Mr. Bamigbola Kolawole Adewumi, said that the distribution of the farm assets was aimed at supporting genuine smallholder farmers across the state who were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as to boost local food production across the state.
