The Ogun State Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) on Thursday distributed 16 tricycles to 16 farmer groups across eight participating local government areas in the state.
The tricycles were presented at the Ogun State Agricultural Development Project (OGADEP), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Bolu Owotomo, said the intervention was designed to improve the transportation of agricultural produce and enhance farmers’ productivity.
Owotomo said the tricycles would reduce the cost of transporting farm produce, improve mobility, and strengthen agricultural value chains across the state.
He noted that the IFAD-assisted VCDP has continued to support farmers through various interventions aimed at enhancing food security, increasing agricultural productivity, and improving the livelihoods of farming communities in Ogun State.
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the tricycles, warning that they must not be sold or diverted for commercial purposes unrelated to agriculture.
He also stressed that proper maintenance and dedicated use for farming operations would ensure the durability of the tricycles and maximise the benefits of the intervention.
“Beneficiaries must not sell or divert the tricycles for commercial purposes unrelated to agricultural activities,” Owotomo said.
The commissioner further highlighted other agricultural initiatives by the state government, including the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), OG-CARES, and the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP).
He said these initiatives were aimed at transforming the state’s agricultural sector.
“Under the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) intervention, more than 20,000 bags of fertiliser were recently distributed to 5,040 farmers across the state.
“Also, 2,700 farmers benefited from subsidised fertiliser under the SAPZ programme after paying only 20 percent of the total cost,” he said.
Earlier, the State Coordinator for IFAD-VCDP, Mrs Abiola Sobukola, explained that the procurement of the tricycles followed a comprehensive needs assessment conducted among the participating farmer groups.
Sobukola said the intervention was designed to address the transportation challenges identified by the farmer groups.
She added that beneficiaries paid 30 per cent of the cost, while the Federal Government, Ogun State Government, and IFAD provided the remaining 70 per cent.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Kamorudeen Shokunbi appreciated the government and IFAD-VCDP for the support and pledged proper use of the tricycles.
“We will use and maintain the tricycles to improve our farming activities,” Shokunbi said.
