ADO-EKITI- Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has presented loans totalling N500 million to farmers in the state.

The Governor, during the presentation of cheques to beneficiaries at the ceremony to flag off the N500 million government-guaranteed agricultural loan to farmers, re-affirmed his interest and determination to use agriculture for the socio-economic and industrial transformation of the state.

The interest free loan in conjunction with the Bank of Agriculture to 4,000 farmers according to Aregbesola, will enhance food production and agriculture in the state of Osun.

The Governor decried the poor volume of loans given out by the previous administration, which he described as inadequate and going to the wrong hands.

He said, “You will all see today that the money we are giving out is not peanuts as it used to be in the past. What we are doing now is to give out adequate loans to genuine farmers without any favour or party affiliations like it used to be in the past.

“The Government of Osun will not be caught unguarded with impending danger ahead in the area of food production. The Federal Government, we were told used N600bn annually to import food into the country. We have to be proactive, hence the distribution of loans to farmers to increase food production in our state.”