Bello commissions agricultural equipment, Confluence rice
Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has commissioned 1,700 farming equipment procured for distribution to farmers in the state to enhance agricultural production.
The equipment include, tractors, ridgers, harrows, and ploughs, 1500 power tillers, 10 boom sprayers, 10 combined harvesters and 10 planters.
Inaugurating the equipment and unveiling the Confluence Rice on Sunday in Lokoja, the Governor said the equipment would be distributed to farmers across the 21 local governments free.
He said that the tractors would be managed by Farm Instructors in the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
The governor cautioned Local Government Administrators and political office holders against abuse and diversion of the equipment for personal or commercial use thereby depriving the real farmers.
He said that the agricultural equipment worth several millions of naira was meant to enhance agricultural production in the state, noting that government would not condone any act that would hinder the real farmers from gaining access to the equipment.
“I will not take it lightly with any administrator of Local Government who interferes with the management and control of the tractors.
“The main objective of procuring the tractors is to assist the farmers in the local governments to enhance their production. Any attempt to divert the tractors, government will not condone”, he said.
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Kehinde Oloruntoba said the state had done a lot to key into agricultural programmes of President Muhammadu Buhari as a way of diversifying the nation’s economy from oil.
He noted that the establishment of a rice mill in Omi, Yagba-West Local Government with 50-tonne capacity per day would enhance rice production and place Kogi among the leading rice producers in the country.
Oloruntoba further disclosed that Kogi State has been selected by the Federal Government as one of the six states to benefit from the National Egg Production Programme through poultry farming.
He added that 135 people from the state would benefit from the N4.2 million earmarked for each farmer to kick-start the programme.
Idris Ahmed, Lokoja
