The Kwara Government has set aside 4,000 hectares of land for setting up of farm settlements across seven local government in the state.

 The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Bode Olayemi, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the land was being surveyed by the government.

 He said areas already surveyed are: 278.66 hectares at Ogundele/Atete in Ilorin-West, 535.75 hectares at Ilorin-South and 934.71 hectares at Bayero/Igbaja.

The others included: 530 hectares at Isanlu-Isin; 410 hectares at Offa/Ira and 420 hectares at Erin-Ile.

Olayemi told NAN that government would arrange the farmers into clusters, cooperatives, units and groups, to encourage them to go into commercial farming.

The commissioner explained that government would go into the mass production of farm products like maize, rice, cassava and soya-beans.

He noted that the State Government had signed a memorandum of understanding with some local and foreign investors to set up agro-allied industries to utilise these products.

Also speaking with NAN the President, Agricultural and Mining Association of Nigeria (AMAN), Alhaji Bolaji Atunse, the association would support the State Government’s commercial farming programme. 

He explained that farm settlement proposed by the government consist 10 units of farm to be managed by 10 farmers.

``We have over 600 registered farmers across the state willing to participate in the programme.

``We are appealing to the government to do everything possible to assist and encourage farmers in line with government polices to improve agricultural activities in the state,’’ he said.