Klick Connect Network, an NGO, on Wednesday said it had distributed no fewer than 10 tractors to farmers in Ondo State under the “Cassava Revolution to Ethanol project (CASSAREV)”.
Mr Alex Ajipe, Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, made the disclosure while speaking with members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Akure.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Klick Konnect Networks started out in September 2006 as a public relations company with subsidiaries in construction, electrical works and agriculture, among other fields.
It also serves as a bridge connecting foreign investors from any part of the world to both the states and the Federal Government.
Ajipe said that the gesture was aimed at boosting production of cassava for economic development of the state.
According to him, CASSAREV is a value chain programme set up to discover the various benefits that cassava has toward economic development of the state.
The CEO said that farmers would benefit immensely from CASSAREV which was initiated to create the existence of an ethanol factory and contribute to human capital development.
“We have engaged 2,434 cassava farmers across the state for the first phase of ethanol project proposed to boost the economy of the state.
“We have also distributed 10 new tractors to farmers, and we will also provide herbicides and seedlings for them.
“This is mechanized farming. Apart from giving them tractors, we will also give them planting machines that will plant the cassava so that we can achieve at least 30 tonnes of cassava per hectare.
“And if they don’t have land, we are partnering with some cooperative societies that will give them land for a token,” Ajipe said.
According to him, the organisation is also going to build modular processing factories in Ore, Igbaraoke and Ifon for the farmers so that they won’t have any problem in terms of processing their cassava.
“This is a good opportunity for our teaming youth, all what they need is to come to Klick Connect office in Akure to register, which is free.
“We will give them all the necessary support from the beginning to the end by providing seedling, tractor, herbicides and other tools, including security so that there won’t be any issue with herdsmen.
“Their duty is just to supervise the farm, and during harvesting, we will buy the cassava from them at international price,” Ajipe said.
He, therefore, admonished the people of the state, especially youths, to enroll into the programme because more farmers were still needed across the state.(NAN)
