Oyo State government has announced the commencement of the second phase of the 50 per cent land ploughing subsidy, known as the Tractorisation Policy as part of its efforts to support smallholder farmers in the state for the 2025 farming season.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Barr. Olasunkanmi Olaleye disclosed this on Thursday at a press conference held at the Ministry.
He said due to the massive support of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde to farmers, the National Bureau of Statistics declared that Oyo State as one of the stated that recorded lowest food inflation rates in the country.
Olaleye added that the state can also boast of becoming one of the food baskets of the country with more than 9,569 tonnes of cassava moved out of only Ibarapa zone into neighbouring states between December 2024 and March 2025.
Similarly, Olaleye, hailed governor Makinde for approving the continuation of the 50 per cent tractorisation policy, which began in 2024.
He maintained that the state government was able to reach about 1,487 farmers directly through the programme in 2024, with about 6,090.91 acres of farmlands mechanically ploughed across the state.
The commissioner added that the state witnessed significant increases in productivity per hectare due to proper land preparation, as many small and medium-scale farmers transitioned from manual to mechanical farming methods.
According to the commissioner, the policy entails the state government paying for 50 per cent of the cost of ploughing, with the farmers only paying half the cost of the entire land they want to cultivate.
He explained that the ministry has designated at least four extension officers to each of the 33 local government areas of the state, calling on farmers to approach these officers, who would visit their proposed farm sites, take the measurements and send necessary information to the ministry.
“For those who want to participate in the tractorisation subsidy, the form is free. And if you don’t get the form, just approach the extension officers in your local government. Take them to your farm so that they can take the measurement. Once they upload it, we have our own gadgets here which we can use to see your farm immediately.
“While we deploy tractors, all the ones we are deploying are being tracked so that when they are working on your farmland, we will be able to monitor them from our office here. So, nobody can cheat the system.
“This initiative exemplifies Governor Makinde’s commitment to agricultural transformation. By reducing the cost of land preparation through mechanisation while providing climate information, we are addressing significant barriers to increased agricultural productivity,” the commissioner said.
He added that the state government will not relent towards ensuring that food prices continue to go down in the Oyo State.
Also speaking, chairman of the Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo State (ACCOS), Sheik Taofeek Azeez Akeugbagold said apart from the 50 per cent tractorisation policy, farmers can also access agriculture credit and loans from the corporation.
He lauded Governor Makinde for taking genuine interests in the development of agriculture and the wellbeing of the teeming farming population in the state.
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