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A KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, DR
KAYODE FAYEMI, AT THE PRESENTATION OF CHEQUES TO
BENEFICIARIES OF PEASANT FARMERS DEVELOPMENT LOAN OF
EKITI STATE AT THE LADY JIBOWU HALL, GOVERNMENT HOUSE
GROUND, ADO EKITI ON MONDAY, 15TH AUGUST, 2011
PROTOCOLS
It is my pleasure to address you on this occasion of the
launching of the second phase of the Peasant Farmers
Programme and the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries
of the Ekiti State Peasant Farmers Development Loan Scheme.
Today, we are presenting cheques to 400 new farmers as well as
releasing the balance of loans to the 250 old participants.
This occasion is part of the efforts of this administration to
challenge the unacceptable level of poverty among our Peasant
Farmers in the State. The precarious situation of some of our
farmers is further compounded by the escalating prices of farm
inputs across the nation. This scheme is packaged to tackle the
menace of lack of fund which had been a major factor militating
against agricultural development in Nigeria, Ekiti State inclusive.
The State Government is conscious of the effect of this scenario
on food production and its negative consequences on our people
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hence the need to pioneer the interest free loan for
agricultural production.
Consequently, each of the beneficiaries of the scheme would
today receive a loan of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira
(N150,000.00) without interest, to enable them cultivate at least
two hectares of arable crops to be followed by the introduction of
permanent crops. There is, at present, a sharp decline in the
establishment of permanent crops as well as the production of
dependable cash crops. This administration has therefore
decided to continue to strengthen the Peasant Farmers
Development Programme in the State to ensure that more
farmers especially youths, plan their future earnings by
establishing cash crops plantations.
You will all recall that Agriculture is a major plank of the 8
Point Agenda of this administration. We have to date paid
N160,000.000.00 (One Hundred and Sixty Million Naira Only) as
counterpart fund for the various agricultural programmes of the
State Agricultural Development Programme and FADAMA. The
repairs of broken down tractors and implements and purchase of
new sets at over N150million is on going. For the first time in the
history of the State, more than 8,000 tonnes of fertilizer has been
made available at 50% subsidy to our numerous farmers. Efforts
are on to make the existing Farms Settlements attractive to our
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youths for meaningful crop and animal productive
ventures. My government is already working out the modalities
with private investors and Development Partners to establish
more Farm Settlements in the State. These efforts will open up
more land area and bring the farm centres closer to the people for
modern and commercial agricultural production in the State.
It is in addition to the above policy direction that, a total of
400 farmers drawn from all the 177 wards in the 16 Local
Government Areas of the State have been painstakingly selected
to benefit afresh from this loan scheme this year. This will bring
to a total of 650 farmers that have benefited from this programme
to date. I however, wish to state that the good gesture of this
administration has to be reciprocated. The reluctance of our
people to repay loans earlier granted for numerous agricultural
projects is not encouraging as other farmers are being denied the
opportunity of benefiting from the scheme. I am using this medium
to call on our farmers and other beneficiaries of other loans to
repay credits granted to them as this is being run as a revolving
loan scheme.
I wish to emphasise that the State Government would frown
at any attraction for the misapplication of this loan for anything
other than agricultural purposes. This government is particularly
interested in the establishment of permanent crops; cocoa and oil
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palm plantations in the State. The loan should
therefore not be committed to other uses.
I believe that with good performance, the government will be
encouraged to keep on funding the project which is expected to
ultimately result in established farmers with sustainable means of
livelihood and significant contribution to the overall development
of our State. It is now my pleasure to present the cheques to the
beneficiaries to advance the course of purposeful agricultural
practice in Ekiti State.
Thank you and God bless.
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