Gov. Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State on Tuesday said more than five million cocoa seedlings and agro-chemicals have been distributed to farmers in the state at a highly subsidised rate.
The governor, who was represented by Mr Ademola Olorunfemi, the Commissioner for Agriculture, said this at the 2012 Cocoa growth Enhancement programme held at Agric Input Supply Agency (AISA), Central store at Oke Eda, Akure.
“We cannot continue doing things in the same old way and expect a different result.
“We are living in a dynamic society and we just have to transform as it is done in leading industrial country.
“I am using this medium again to appeal to our cocoa farmers to make the best use of the fertiliser and agro–chemicals in their farms and the best is expected of us, ” he said.
Mimiko said that the state government and the Federal Government would each pay 25 per cent of the inputs through Agric Input Supply Agency (AISA) while cocoa farmers would pay the remaining 50 per cent.
The state government commended the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for the formulation of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda in which cocoa was one of the crops selected.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that agro-chemicals were distributed to cocoa farmers at the event entitled: “2012 Cocoa Growth Enhancement Support (GES)”.
NAN also reports that the improved seedlings and the agro-chemicals are expected to ensure high-yielding and disease-resistant cocoa in Ondo State in a short while.