AS part of efforts to boost food production in Ondo state, no fewer than 200 motorcycles and agricultural implements worth over N100m were distributed to farmers from the southern senatorial districts of the state by the Senator representing the Southern Senatorial District of the state, Senator Nicholas Tofowomo
Speaking during the presentation of the farmers in Ile-Oluji, headquarters of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of the state, the lawmaker said the distribution of the motorcycles became necessary to ease the challenges of transportation in agricultural businesses in the rural communities of Ondo South.
The lawmaker who said the motorcycles are to ensure easy access to farms, charged them not to use the motorcycles for commercial purpose but to use them for their mobility to farms because of the challenges of transportation with rural communities of the Senatorial District.
Tofowomo who noted that most farmers usually trekked long distance to their farms because of the bad nature of the roads leading to their farms said the motorcycles could be used to transport some farm products and agricultural inputs with ease.
The lawmaker who stressed the need to promote agriculture as part of the ways to cushion the effect of hardship in the country said the distribution of the motorcycles will encourage more youths in the area to enbrace agriculture.
He said “I went round all the six local government areas within this district and I discovered that agriculture is the key occupation of the people from Ondo south.
“In Irele, plantain is everywhere, cocoa is in Ile-Oluji/ Okeigbo, palm produce in Okitipupa and I noticed that we have not developed most of these but when I became the lawmaker representating the area, I see the need to add value to agriculture in Ondo south.
“The distribution of the motorcycles is to encourage people to go back to the farm and do their farming properly and have a meaningful mobility, that is why I packaged 200 motorcycles for farmers in Ondo south
“Also as part of my contribution towards promoting agriculture in the district, I have given monetary scheme to people. We gave them money ranging from N150,000 and N500,000 to purchase farm imput.
“There was a time we give seedlings to farmers and we also sent them to training in agricultural institutes in different sector of agriculture.”
He noted that the farms settlements and camps are located at the outskirts saying most youths were discouraged to embark on agriculture because of the long distance to farm with no access to transportation
Tofowomo who identified bad roads as one of the challenges confronting farmers in the districts, said improved transportation helped the farming industry because farmers who lived in rural areas could transport their produce to the market using transportation such as the motorcycles.
He said the support was part of his campaign pledges to provide more intervention to improve socio-economic activities and their standard of living of farmers in the district, urging the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the motorcycles.
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