……To cultivate 7,324 hectares of land, distributes 100 tractors to farmers
Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo on Saturday disclosed that the state government has invested over 7 Billion Naira for the procurement of over 100 tractors and other farm implement for massive food production in the state.
The Governor also revealed that 7,324 hectares would be cultivated by over 10,000 farmers across the 21 local government areas of the state during the current farming season.
Governor Ododo while presenting the tractors to farmers during the officially flagged off of the 2024 wet season farming at Ajaokuta and Gegu-Beki communities on Saturday, stated that investing in agriculture is a critical step towards poverty eradication, assuring that 75 percent of the total farmland cleared for cultivation in this year’s farming season will be allocated to youth and women farmers in the State.
Speaking further , Governor Ododo who has passion for farming noted that over 90 percent of the land area in the state is arable and promised to make Kogi a leading state in food production to contribute to the development of Nigeria’s economy.
“Across the 21 local government areas of the state, we are opening farmlands and preparing more land for cultivation of crops like rice, maize, cassava, yam and other staple food crops and grains.
“We have also procured farm implements for full scale agricultural mechanization in line with our agenda to ensure food security in the state.
“Our youths are beginning to embrace agriculture as a credible source of wealth creation and our women in agriculture are already on the field because of their believe in our commitment to transform the agricultural sector in the state” he said.
The Governor called on wealthy Kogites both at home and in diaspora to begin to explore the window of opportunities that abound in the agro industry.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the agricultural transformation initiatives in the country, assuring that his administration has keyed into the cardinal objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda to ensure food security in all parts of the country.
In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Honourable Timothy Ojoma noted that the commencement of the wet season farming across 79 farm clusters in the state is a significant step in the agricultural transformation agenda of the state by Governor Ododo.
