Farmers in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti on Wednesday appealed to the state government to grant them loans and give them good tractors to boost their agricultural production.
Some of the farmers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eda Oniyo that their challenges were numerous, but identified lack of funds and farm implements as their major challenges.
The Chairman of the farmers association in the area, Mr Bode Ojerinde, said that the state government promised to empower the farmers, but they were yet to receive any financial supports.
He said that most of the members were growing old and they could not use hoes and cutlasses to cultivate their farmlands.
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“I want to sincerely appeal to the state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to grant us soft loans to enable us produce in large scale.
“We also urge the state government to give us two or three tractors to enable us start mechanised farming as that will further boost our agricultural production,” he said.
Another farmer, Mr Gboyega Aduloju, said that the only tractor available in the community had become old and unserviceable.
He added that it could not be used by the farmers to cultivate their farmlands.
He appealed to Gov. Kayode Fayemi to consider their sufferings and give them loans to boost their production.
Also, Kayode Awogbemi, a farmer, said that the farmers did not have the financial strength to produce in large scale.
Awogbemi said that he could not cultivate his big farms because he did not have the strength anymore.
He urged the state government to provide tractors for the farmers so that they would be able cultivate their farmlands, especially, during the current rainy season.
Another farmer, Mr Tade Owolabi, urged the state government to provide tricycles for the farmers to enable them transport their farm produce from their farms and barns to the markets and their respective homes.
He said that the roads leading to the farms were not accessible.
Owolabi added that during the harvest period, the farmers were always finding it difficult to move their maize, yams, cocoyam and other farm produce out of the farms.
The farmer said that most times, some of his harvested farm produce often get spoilt as a result of his inability to transport them from the farm to the market on time.
Owolabi appealed to the state government to provide the farmers chemicals such as herbicides that they could use to destroy unwanted plants and weeds in their farms. (NAN)