Ogun Distributes Tractors, Farm Inputs and 1,200 Android Phones to Boost Food Security

The Ogun State Government has distributed tractors, agricultural equipment, subsidised farm inputs and 1,200 Android phones to boost food production, create jobs and strengthen food security.

The initiative, organised in collaboration with the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), was announced during the World Food Day celebration at the Cultural Centre in Abeokuta.

Governor Dapo Abiodun reaffirmed his administration's commitment to agricultural mechanisation, innovation and digital technology to improve farmers' productivity.

10,000 Farmers to Receive Agricultural Support

The programme targets 2,000 rice farmers and 8,000 cassava farmers. Each beneficiary will receive two bags of fertiliser and one bag of urea.

Cassava farmers will also receive 25 bundles of cassava stems each, while rice farmers will receive three litres of herbicide and cassava farmers 10 litres.

Beneficiaries will contribute 30 per cent of the cost of the inputs, depending on their category, while the government will cover the remaining 70 per cent through its partnership with IFAD.

Digital Farming and Mechanisation

The state is providing 10 tractors and other agricultural equipment to support farm settlements and farmers' associations. The 1,200 Android phones come with applications offering weather updates, market prices and guidance on best farming practices to help farmers make informed production decisions.

Abiodun also disclosed that the state had procured 39 tractors and four self-propelled harvesters to reduce manual labour and improve farm output.

Agricultural Investment and Job Creation

The governor said his administration had completed 28 agricultural projects in two years, including warehouses, solar dryers, cassava processing centres and a poultry processing plant at Ajegunle Farm Settlement in Odeda Local Government Area. The poultry facility can process up to 5,000 birds daily.

He added that more than 200 young people had received training in soilless farming, while the Ogun State Farmer Information Management System had registered over 160,000 farmers and agricultural value-chain participants.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Bolu Owotomo, said the interventions were designed to improve farmers' access to technology, equipment and affordable inputs. He also disclosed that more than 12,000 farmers had benefited from training and agricultural support under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project.

The government urged investors to explore opportunities in commercial farming, agro-processing, livestock, aquaculture, irrigation and storage as it works to increase local food production, reduce post-harvest losses and create employment across the agricultural value chain.