The Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Saliu Mustapha, has flagged off the distribution of agricultural inputs worth over N1.5 billion to thousands of smallholder farmers across Kwara State, under the Renewed Hope Farmers Support Scheme.

The items include 5,000 bags of NPK fertiliser, 2,500 bags of urea, 1,000 knapsack sprayers, 250 power tillers and 500 water pump machines, among others, for farmers and agricultural groups across Kwara Central Senatorial District.

Addressing beneficiaries at the event in Ilorin, Mustapha, who is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, said the intervention was aimed at improving agricultural productivity and supporting the federal government’s food security drive.

He urged beneficiaries to make effective use of the inputs to boost food production during the current farming season.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the beneficiaries, the Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria in Kwara State, Mr Shuaibu Salman, and the state Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr Soliu Mohammed, commended the senator for the intervention, describing it as timely and impactful.

They assured that the support would improve farmers’ productivity.