— Agriculture
Agriculture is the mainstay of our people and over 90% of them derive their livelihood solely from subsistence farming. Being the backbone of our economic endeavours, it is incumbent on political leaders to mobilize every effort and resources to improve this sector.
It is my belief that if agriculture is enhanced, by extension, the lives of the people are uplifted. To this end, I am poised to taking agriculture to greater heights. Hence, I will pursue the improvement of this sector with all amount of seriousness from two angles - A and B.
Angle A
Under this aegis, I shall use my position as a Senator to influence Federal and State Government Agricultural facilities and programmes to our teeming peasant farmers and animal breeders. Such services as:
- Distribution of fertilizers at subsidized rate
- Provision of Tractor hiring and other agricultural machinery facilities at affordable prices
- Provision of herbicides, pesticides and other agro-allied chemicals
Angle B
Angle B initiative will focus on the use of personal resources to provide agricultural inputs to the farmers as supplementary measures to government effort. This policy would be implemented in two phases as follows:
Phase One:
Under this auspices, greater concentration would be on the procurement and free distribution of fertilizers to the poorest farmers in the constituency.
It is a known fact that majority of our peasant farmers lack the slightest wherewithal to purchase and apply modern manure. In the year 2008, trucks of fertilizers would be bought and distributed free of charge to this category of farmers. This of course will go a long way in boosting returns from farming endeavours and discourage the application of archaic and primitive manures.
Phase Two:
Phase Two will be an attempt to venture into agricultural mechanization.
As from 2009 cropping season, I shall set up “Agricultural Mechanization Revolving Fund.” This fund will finance procurement of tractors together with other farm implements and lease out to Group farmers at very reduced rates.
The objective of this scheme is a gradual modernization of farming methodology with a view to taking our people our of primitivity in tilling the soil which has been being human intensive and contributed in great measure in reducing the life-span of many of our people.
The scheme will be self-sustaining and will be recycled in the succeeding years.
