Ogun State supports farmers with subsidised tools
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Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun launched a program in Abeokuta, Nigeria, to support 10,000 rice and cassava farmers with subsidised agricultural inputs and equipment.
The governor’s intervention will provide 2,000 rice farmers and 8,000 cassava farmers with fertiliser, herbicides, and cassava stems. Farmers will cover 30 percent of the cost, while the Ogun State government will pay the remaining 70 percent through a partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD.
Abiodun’s administration also distributed 10 tractors and 1,200 smartphones pre-loaded with agricultural apps to help farmers access weather updates, market prices, and best farming practices. The state has recorded over 160,000 farmers and agricultural value-chain operators in its database, launched in April 2023, to better support the sector. Beyond inputs, the government is investing in agricultural infrastructure, including 39 tractors, harvesters, and processing facilities like a poultry plant capable of processing 5,000 birds daily.
The Ogun State Agricultural Land Management Agency aims to facilitate access to land for commercial farming, and partnerships with firms like Soilless Farm Lab are training young people in modern farming techniques. Professor Kolawole Adebayo noted that Ogun State has 1.2 million hectares of arable land, and called for improved transportation infrastructure to support agricultural development.
