Government Announces 50 Per Cent Ploughing Subsidy To Farmers
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 also known as the Tractorisation Policy.
The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, gave this indication during a press conference held at the Ministry.
Mr Olaleye explained that the state could also boast of having become one of the food baskets of the country, as more than 9,569 tonnes of cassava, representing about 300 trailers, were moved out of only Ibarapa zone of Oyo State into neighbouring states between December 2024 and March 2025.
The commissioner equally hailed Governor Makinde for approving the continuation of the 50 per cent tractorisation policy, which began in 2024, noting that the policy represented the governor’s commitment to progressive and sustainable agricultural development.
Mr Olaleye maintained that the state government was able to reach about 1,487 farmers directly through the programme in 2024, with about 6,090.91 acres of farmlands mechanically ploughed across the state.
The commissioner added that 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.
He explained that the Ministry has designated at least four extension officers to each of the 33 Local Government Areas of the state, calling on farmers to approach these officers, who would visit their proposed farm sites, take the measurements and send necessary information to the Ministry.
The chairman of the Agricultural Credit Corporation of Oyo State (ACCOS), Sheik Taofeek Akeugbagold, declared that apart from the 50 per cent tractorisation policy, which would help farmers, but could also access agriculture credit and loans from the corporation.
Alhaji Akeugbagold lauded Governor ‘Seyi Makinde for taking genuine interests in the development of agriculture and the wellbeing of the teeming farming population in the state.
