All is now set for the official flag off of the 2020 cropping season in Kwara State, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Adenike Afolabi-Oshatimehin informed on Tuesday.
News Hub Mag! gathered that the event will take place on Wednesday, May 20th, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development deploying tractors, planters, boom sprayers and harvesters to create awareness about mechanised farming.
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In a statement issued yesterday, the Commissioner said that the government also recognises the importance of appropriate mechanisation technologies for agricultural growth and development in the State.
Afolabi-Oshatimehin explained that the first official flag off of the planting season will hold at Alateko Village in Moro Local Government Area of the state.
In her words, “The flag off at Alateko is for the Kwara North senatorial district. We are having another flag off for Kwara South on Friday May 22 at Ajase Ipo while the one for Kwara Central will hold next Monday, May 25th, at Oke Oyi.
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“The flag-off will display complete mechanisation of the primary production process such as mechanised soil tillage, planting, fertilisation, and herbicide application to further enhance the productivity of our farmers.”
She assured that the flag off would avail local farmers the opportunity of accessing the machines at affordable rates, adding that they would also witness the practical demonstration of good agricultural practices on commercial scale.
This, she said, would serve as a springboard for the anticipated agriculture-based drive for industrialisation of the state.
News Hub Mag! reports that assorted hybrid varieties of tree crops such as Cocoa, oil palm will be on display at the events.
News Hub Mag! recalls that the State Government had hinted earlier that it would pay close attention to the sector as the growth driver of the economy.
