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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.