The Oyo State Government has commenced the third phase of agricultural inputs distribution to farmers in the state.

This phase was kicked-started with the distribution of two bags of 50kg feeds and two bottles of disinfectant to 1,000 pig farmers.

The phase will also witness the free vaccination of at least 120,000 cattle with anthrax vaccine and CBPP vaccine, while another 250,000 cattle, goat and sheep will also be vaccinated.

During the flag-off at the Ajaawa, Ogo Oluwa Local Council, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, added that 1,000 sheep and goat farmers across the state will equally receive two bags of 50kg wheat offal each.

The effort, he noted, is in continuation of measures introduced by Governor ‘Seyi Makinde under the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) initiative to cushion the effect of the economic hardship on residents of the state.

Olaleye, who also doubles as the chairman, SAfER Food Security Sub-Committee, recalled that thousands of poultry and fishery farmers in the state had benefited in the first and second phases of the inputs distribution exercise.

He lauded the governor for sustaining agricultural activities in the state through the SAfER initiative, adding that the initiative, which targets crop, poultry, fishery and livestock farmers, is aimed at supporting small and medium scale enterprises to relieve them of the current economic hardship.

Olaleye said: “We are flagging off the third phase of SAfER interventions for the food security sub-sector with the distribution of feeds and disinfectants to pig farmers across Oyo State.

“This is just the beginning of the exercise and it will go across all the local councils in the state.

“It is part of the SAfER initiative introduced by Governor Makinde. In the next few days, we will proceed to the stage of giving seed, cassava, cottons, herbicides and knapsack sprayers to crop farmers.

“The programme is aimed at reducing the cost of food in Oyo State and I want to assure you that by the next harvest season, you will see that prices of goods and food would have gone down.”

The commissioner added that the initiative, apart from relieving farmers of the present economic hardship occasioned by fuel subsidy removal, will also improve feed quality and quantity for livestock production so as to grow the economy.

The commissioner added that as part of efforts to support farmers in the state, the governor recently pronounced a N600m subsidy on land clearing, which will see farmers pay only N15, 000 per hectare instead of N30, 000 being charged earlier.

He noted that the governor had equally waived tax payment on farm produce transporting within the state, urging farmers to show fidelity to the government by reflecting the support they have received in the pricing of foodstuff in the coming months.

In his remarks, the chairman, Piggery Farmers Association, Mr. Tope Oye-Alamu, expressed gratitude to the state government for the inclusion of pig farmers as beneficiaries of the initiative, noting that his sub-sector had never benefited from such effort before.