The federal government on Friday gave palliatives to 80 cattle farmers affected by the 2022 flood disaster in Oyo State.

The palliatives were given to the beneficiaries on behalf of the federal government by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) at Moore Plantation, Apata, Ibadan, on Friday.

Addressing the beneficiaries, the FMAFS coordinator in the state, Florence Kakulu, said the cattle farmers who were victims of the 2022 flood disaster were carefully selected across the state.

Ms Kakulu said each farmer would get three bags of cotton seed cake, three blocks of salt lick and cash.

The coordinator said the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, commiserated with the livestock farmers who lost their hard-earned fortunes to the flood disaster.

Ms Kakulu said the minister was aware of the farmers’ pains due to the economic losses in their businesses occasioned by the flood.

She said the gesture was part of the ministry’s desire to cushion the effects of the natural disaster on the affected persons.

“The gesture is President Bola Tinubu’s immediate short-term intervention and his aspiration to drive his administration’s renewed hope agenda in the overall interest of the farmers in particular and Nigerians in general,” she said.

The coordinator said the global effects of climate change had made it imperative for stakeholders in the livestock sub-sector to be proactive in mitigating its impacts.

Also, the FMAFS deputy director of the animal husbandry department, Ibinade Akeem, called on the cattle farmers to always feed their cattle with the right supplements to be healthy.

In his reaction, the South-West Cattle Breeders and Dealers Association coordinator, Salaudeen Moruf, appreciated the ministry for the gesture.

In his remarks, Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, called on the farmers to always join associations to benefit from the government’s assistance.

(NAN)