As part of its efforts to support smallholder farmers in the state in the 2025 farming season, the Oyo State government has announced the commencement of the second phase of the 50 per cent land ploughing subsidy, known as the Tractorisation Policy.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, stated this during a press conference held at the Ministry, on Thursday.
He noted that, as a result of the massive support that the Governor ‘Seyi Makinde administration has been giving to farmers, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently declared Oyo as the one of the state with the lowest food inflation rates in the country.
The commissioner also said the state can also boast of having become one of the food baskets of the country.
According to him, more than 9,569 tonnes of cassava, representing about 300 trailers, were moved out of Ibarapa Zone of Oyo State only into neighbouring states between December 2024 and March 2025.
Also speaking, Chairman, Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo State (ACCOS), Sheik Taofeek Azeez Akeugbagold, said smallholder farmers can access agriculture credit and loans from the corporation.
The agriculture credit and loan facilities, he declared, were apart from the 50 per cent tractorisation policy which was designed to help the farmers.
He lauded Governor Makinde for taking genuine interests in the development of agriculture and the wellbeing of the teeming farming population in the state.
Similarly, Barrister Olaleye, hailed Governor Makinde for approving the continuation of the 50 per cent tractorisation policy, which began in 2024.
He noted that the policy represented the governor’s commitment to progressive and sustainable agricultural development.
He maintained that the state government was able to reach about 1,487 smallholder farmers directly through the programme in 2024, with about 6,090.91 acres of farmlands mechanically ploughed across the state.
The commissioner said, as a result of the policy, 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 Olaleye, the policy entailed the state government paying for 50 per cent of the cost of ploughing, with the smallholder farmers only paying half the cost of the entire land they want to cultivate.
He explained that the state Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has designated, at least, four extension officers to each of the 33 local government areas of the state.
He called on the smallholder farmers to approach the officers, who would visit their proposed farm sites, take the measurements and send necessary information to the ministry.
He said: “It is my pleasure to address you today on the continuation of our landmark 50 per cent Tractorisation Subsidy Programme as we prepare for the 2025 planting season.
“Last year, Oyo State, under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, took a bold step to revolutionise farming by introducing the 50 per cent Tractorisation Subsidy Programme.
“I am proud to report the tangible results of this initiative: A remarkable 6,090.91 acres of farmlands were mechanically ploughed across the state; 1,487 farmers directly benefited from this programme, transforming their agricultural practices.
“These achievements reflect the successful implementation of His Excellency’s vision of agricultural transformation as a pathway to economic development.
“As we commence the second phase of this programme, I am pleased to announce several important developments:
“On April 9, the state’s Agricultural Extension Workers completed specialised training conducted by “Hello Tractor,” our technical partner in this initiative.
“This training will equip all the extension officers with the latest knowledge and skills to better support our farmers.
“During the training, participants were introduced to the new online booking application that will streamline tractor services.
“This user-friendly platform will allow smallholder farmers to book tractor services conveniently, track the status of their requests and receive timely updates on service delivery.
“Additionally, a dedicated helpline has been established to provide immediate assistance to farmers facing any challenges with the booking process or service delivery.
“Under the tractorisation programme, the Oyo State government will continue to subsidise 50 per cent of the cost of mechanical ploughing services for every acre of farmland cultivated by our farmers.
“This means that for every acre mechanically ploughed, farmers will only pay half the cost, with the government covering the remaining 50 per cent.
“I wish to inform all farmers in Oyo State that registration for the 2025 Tractorisation Subsidy Programme is now open.
“Farmers can register through agricultural extension officers in all local government areas, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Headquarters and the new online booking application already demonstrated.
“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.
“I call on all smallholder farmers in Oyo State to take advantage of this opportunity.
“With our target to exceed last year’s achievement of 6,090.91 acres and reach even more than the 1,487 farmers who benefited previously, this administration is determined to make 2025 a breakthrough year for agriculture in the state.
“The 50 per cent Tractorisation Subsidy Programme represents His Excellency’s commitment to progressive and sustainable agricultural development.
“As we prepare for the 2025 planting season, we are confident that this initiative will continue to transform the agricultural landscape of our dear state.
“Also, in our commitment to sustainable farming practices, I am pleased to announce that we have also facilitated a “Train the Trainer” session on the downscaling of Seasonal Climate Prediction for 2025, presented by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
“This climate information will be crucial for our farmers to make informed decisions on planting dates, select appropriate crop varieties, implement suitable agronomic practices and mitigate climate-related risks to their farms.
“Our extension officers will then disseminate this valuable climate information to smallholder farmers across all agricultural zones in the state.”
The commissioner declared that the state government will not relent towards ensuring that food prices continue to go down.
“Last year, 40,000 kilogrammes of maize seeds were distributed. We equally distributed more than 65,000 bundles of cassava stems to close to 3,000 farmers in the state.
“We carried out free vaccination for thousands of cattle to support people in animal husbandry in the state. We also gave fish feeds, pig feeds and all that.
“The fallout of all these supports was what we received from the NBS in February that Oyo State recorded one of the lowest food inflation rates in the country. This is just because of all the support the government has been giving to farmers in the state,” Olaleye added.
