From Yakubu Mustapha Minna
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has flagged-off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers and farm inputs as intervention to 640 farmers across the 25 local government areas of the state.
This was in collaboration with the Niger State government, Fadama-Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus and Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) is supported by World Bank held at trade fair complex in Minna.
Governor Bago said the effort towards demonstrating his administration’s commitment to taking advantage of the arable land in the state to develop Agriculture, while he called on the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the items and avoid the temptation of selling them.
He emphasized the need for everyone especially the youth to engage in farming as the incentives from the Federal government is not sustainable directed that every local government in the state should cultivate 10,000 hectares of land within the next one year.
Bago commended the World Bank and other development partners for their support to the state and directed the Ministry of Finance to ensure the balance for the counterpart fund amounting to N900million is paid immediately.
He said each of the 640 beneficiaries is expected to get 2 bags of 50kg NPK fertilizer, 1bag of 50kg Urea fertilizer, 2 litres of herbicide, 1 litre of pesticide and 10kg of rice and maize, as well as 5kg of sorghum improved seeds.
The items distributed are 78 metric tonnes of NPK and Urea fertilizer, 4.75 metric tonnes of rice, maize and sorghum seeds as well as some implements.
National Coordinator, ACReSAL, Abdulhamid Umar who highlighted of ACReSAL, a World Bank Assisted Project, said 700 Million US Dollars have been earmarked for the project to be tapped by the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory targeted at boost agriculture sector to ensure food security.