Following its pledge to subsidize 50% farm land cutting to enhance food security, Oyo State Government has begun training of its agricultural extension officers and directors of agriculture across the Local Governments on farmers booking applications.
Olaleye Olasunkanmi, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, while declaring open the training at the State Secretariat, said the training would help the beneficiaries on how to use the application to register the details of farmers such as their Local Government, farm location and the coordinate of their farm lands.
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While saying that the training was held in collaboration with Hello Tractor Organization, he added that the application would enable the Government to have the details of farmers in the state.
Olasunkanmi hinted that the application would help in knowing the acres of land to be cultivated, the types of crops and the size of land farmers wish to invest in, as this would enable the Government to come to their aid.
According, to him, Oyo State Government is training the participants on farmers booking applications, this will help the government to know the details of the farmers such as the size of the farm, crops type and more.
He stated further the application would equally reveal the location of the farm right from the Office and will also help in monitoring activities of the Agric Extension Officers across the 33-local governments.
The Commissioner explained that the present Government in the State would leave no stone unturned to ensure farmers are encouraged through various support by eliminating their sufferings, stressing that this would enhance food security in the state.
Christianah Abioye, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, urged the participants to pay rapt attention to the training, saying that after their retirement, they could as well be an agent to the Hello Tractors Organization.
While encouraging farmers on the need to take proper coordinate of farmers’ farm land, the General Manager, Agricultural Credit Cooperation of Oyo State, Emmanuel Ogundiran, said the training coincided with the planting season in which farmers would need more funds to clear land for farming.
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He thanked the Government for being proactive in ensuring food security in the state.
Blessing Agu, the Team Lead and facilitator, Hello Tractor Organization Limited, commended the Oyo State Government for its various ongoing efforts in supporting framers in the State, saying the farmers are facing many challenges, and this according to her, had drastically reduced food production in the Country and Oyo State at large.
