Oyo State Government Begins 50% Tractorization Subsidy For Farmers

… Deploys extension officers across 33 LG to facilitate proper booking.

In line with promises made by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to support farmers in ploughing their farmlands, the State Government has commenced 50% tractorization subsidy for farmers to enhance its vision of ensuring food sufficiency across the State.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Barrister Olasunkami Olaleye who  disclosed this at a press briefing, explained that a remote monitoring device would also be deployed to ensure proper measurement of farmlands and tracking of the tractors while ploughing the farmlands to ensure the programme followed due process.

Explaining modalities for the programme, the Commissioner noted that interested farmers would book by applying to access the tractorization subsidy, then an extension officer would go to their farms to take proper measurements of farmlands to determine the 50% subsidy then the farmers would be expected to pay their own part of the other 50% before tractors would be mobilized to their various farmlands, adding that the programme is in partnership with LO tractors.

Barrister Olasunkami Olaleye equally stressed that for now, each beneficiary farmer would only get support for maximum of 10 acres of farmland to enable the privileges spread across for all farmers in the State addicting that the interested farmers should contact booking agents Officer – Agric Extension Officers in their various local Government for inspection of their farm to take coordinate.

He also reaffirmed the commitment of the State Government to continually expand its agricultural sector and provide necessary interventions to farmers in achieving its visions of guaranteeing food security and reduction in prices of foodstuff in the State.

In his remarks, the chairman of Oyo State Agric Credit Corporation, Alhaji Taofeek Akewugbagold, commended Governor Seyi Makinde’s ingenuity in conceiving the programme, assuring farmers that the government would not only support farmers to plough their farms, but continue to provide more assistance while acknowledging that though the 1 billion naira agric credit loan had been exhausted, farmers should expect more loans and interventions.

In her closing remarks, the permanent secretary, ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Mrs. Christianah Abioye, stated that the various efforts of the present Government would encouraged more young once to embrace farming urged the farmers to ensure their farm land for cultivation is well cleared before tractor can be deployed to their farm.

Adding that contact of the booking agents have been released for the interested members, farmers.

Adesoji Olusegun,

Media Officer,

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.