Farmers in Ogun State who are yet to participate in the on-going registration exercise have been charged to do so immediately to benefit from the 2013 Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme. Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun made the call today in Abeokuta at a meeting with members of the State Chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
Mrs. Sokefun indicated that the inherent benefits of the scheme include the possibility of purchasing highly subsidised agricultural inputs which could enhance productivity at minimal cost, pointing out that already, no fewer than 140, 000 farmers had registered.
“I want all farmers in the State to participate in the ongoing registration exercise. I understand we are in planting season and as such you are all busy, but the Federal Government will use the figure in its database when it is time to extend help to you. Even though 140,000 farmers have registered, I am convinced that this number is still a fraction of the total numbers of farmers in the state”, she said.
The Commissioner added that the State government was working on programmes that would further encourage youths and women farmers in the State and invariably increased food production. Reacting, the AFAN Chairman, Mr. Segun Dasaolu assured that the association would ensure that all its members were registered before the end of the exercise.
He added that since they would be the beneficiary of the exercise as experienced in the 2012 GES exercise, farmers in the State should tap into this year’ s episode to maximize their profit.
Via: Ogun State Government - Official Press Release