We are happy to inform the public that the tractors are out for the rainy season. We are conscious of the question of sustainability, hence the careful approach to inject private sector practices
Osun Tractor Operations – In preparation for the upcoming rainy season, Osun state government has approved modalities for the operations of tractors across farmlands in Osun state.
According to a statement released on March 17 by Hon. Tola Faseru, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, who verified the news, he said interested farmers should contact either the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry or the General Manager of Osun State Agricultural Development Corporation (OSSADEC) via virtual or physical means.
Faseru said that the tractors will be housed at the OSSADEC farm facility across the state and that the government is subsidising the operational rate per acre to reduce the cost of farm operations.
The ministry is aiming to establish technical centres at certain sites for the tractors’ upkeep, as pointed out by Hon. Faseru, who mentioned that some of the tractors are currently in use in certain farmlands.
He also said that the administration has opted for a public-private partnership approach to managing the tractors, and that drivers are being assembled, trained, and retrained to ensure smooth operation.
The statement read, “We are happy to inform the public that the tractors are out for the rainy season. We are conscious of the question of sustainability, hence the careful approach to inject private sector practices.
“In 14 or so years, this is the first time Osun is having new fleet of tractors. We have learnt from what caused the failure of the past efforts. We won’t repeat the same mistakes.
“We know we are not there yet. But Governor Adeleke has blazed the trail by procuring the first set of tractors. We innovated also because of ongoing issues at the local government level.
We don’t want it to be managed in unsustainable manner. Hence, Mr Governor insisted the tractors be managed like a business although with public subisdy”, the Commissioner posited.
He stated that the ministry is reaching out to stakeholders among the farming community to ensure accelerated access for users within the state.