Ekiti Govt conducts free treatments for farmers in latest medical outreach

By Boye Oyeyemi

The government of Ekiti State has conducted free medical treatments for no fewer than 500 farmers and farm managers in the state under a health outreach program organised to support agricultural productivity and improve farmers’ wellbeing.

The programme which was coordinated by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Farm Settlement and Agriculture, Temitope Adewole, offered beneficiaries eye examinations, glasses, screening for hypertension and diabetes, dental care as well as free medications.

Speaking at the flag-off of the initiative, special assistant explained that the outreach was designed to take healthcare services directly to farmers who often struggle to visit hospitals due to demanding farming activities.

He disclosed that Governor Biodun Oyebanji remained committed to boosting food production, stressing that improved agricultural output depends largely on the health and strength of farmers across the state.

Adewole further noted that government interventions in agriculture had contributed to the current food surplus recorded in the state so far, adding that farmers previously benefitted from free clearing of at least one hectare of farmland, with some receiving support for up to 10 or 20 hectares at no cost.

He indicated that the government introduced a 50 per cent subsidy on agrochemicals and mechanised farming, explaining that farmers now pay half of the normal cost for mechanisation services, a development he said had significantly increased productivity.

In his remark, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Babatope Ojo, commended the initiative while urging its continuity to help maintain good health and sustain farm output in the state.