Determined to boost agriculture production in Niger State, the governor, Mohammed Bago, has announced a 50per cent reduction in the cost of fertilisers to the state farmers.
The governor made this known on Wednesday while flagging off the sale and distribution of other farm inputs in Minna, the state capital. He explained that his administration has prioritised agriculture by investing in machinery and technology to boost productivity.
Arewa PUNCH notes that Bago, who has shown by his words and actions his determination to transform Niger State into the food hub of Nigeria, has not relented in the zeal.
Apart from adding the “farmer” appellation to his office of governor, he has also encouraged his subordinates to go by the title of farmer. This slant, his deputy, has also picked from him.
“We are committed to achieving sustainable food security, reducing food costs, and addressing unemployment. To ensure affordability, we are subsidising fertiliser prices by 50%,” Bago announced.
He stressed, “We acknowledge the security challenges, but we are working to ensure uninterrupted farming activities.’’
“In line with our ambitious New Niger Agenda, we have made significant progress in delivering tractors, harvesters, and other equipment to support small-scale farmers.
We assure all farmers in the state of the administration’s commitment to prioritise agriculture as the key to achieving food security, reduction of high food costs, and addressing widespread unemployment, especially among the youths,” Bago insisted.
The governor who has also become an evangelist of sort on the gospel of the virtues of agriculture and winning more disciples to the field for a bumper harvest for the state and country, also in a recent outing at the swearing in ceremony of the Batch B of the National Youth Service Corp NYSC sent to the state ensured that he converted nearly all the Corps members to farmers.
He did this by giving them mouth-watering offers as well as letting them into the prospects that await farmers in the state.
“Let me welcome all Corp members to Niger State. We are agrarian. We are farmers. So, in my conversation, everywhere I go, I begin to wonder how somebody can go to university or finish from the polytechnic and wait for N60,000 minimum wage? When in Niger Foods alone, I pay N500,000 every month,” he asked before throwing the bait,”Who wants to be a farmer?”
Expectedly, the crowd of youth corpers chorused, “Me.”
“All Corps members serving in Niger State today are entitled to N200,000 bonus from Niger Farms. So, you have N200,000 each of you. So, we are going to credit your account with N200,000. This is to give you comfort to stay in Niger State. Again, to the Director of NYSC, Niger State, we want to build a brand new NYSC camp for Niger State. So, Niger State is putting N5 billion to build a new NYSC camp for you. In the interim, we are going to build toilets and boreholes, five boreholes, for this NYSC camp.
“And again, because we are agrarian, we have a lot of livestock in our store we are giving you 20 cows for the corpers and we are giving one trailer load of rice so that corpers will enjoy serving in Minna. Now, we need to feed the nation.
“Farming is rich. What we have done this morning to give you N5 billion to build a new camp is through agriculture, and that also accounts for the N200,000 token given to each Corps member.
The same is applicable to the trailer load of rice, which is also through agriculture, just as 29 cattle given is equally through agriculture. It means there is prosperity in agriculture. We have invested so much money in mechanisation. Farming is not about hoe and tractor
“We have entered a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Sports, Youths on how we can propel agriculture in the NYSC scheme. Nigeria does not need to be fed by any other person. As far as you have a farm, animal husbandry, aquaculture, and cropping, then you will earn a minimum amount of N500,000 in Niger State. So, my fellow youth corpers, this is an opportunity for you in Niger State. We have cleared over a million hectares today, and we are continuing to clear more. Join us to feed Nigeria,” he said.
The State Commissioner of Agriculture, Musa Bosso, in his address of welcome, during the fertiliser distribution said the ministry has identified over 16,000 hectares of land in Katcha, Wushishi, Agaie and Lapal Local Government Areas for the cultivation of Rice, Maize, Soybean and Sesame for interested civil servants.
He noted that the Niger State Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Authority is working closely with Niger Foods to address the needs of 20,000 smallholder farmer and 10,000 medium holder farmers whom, he said would have access to 1,000 power tillers and agro-input.
“As at today, Your Excellency, a bag of grains (Maize, Sorghum, Millet, Rice) is sold at between the range of N80,000 – N90,000, this is far above the reach of an ordinary Nigerlite, thus, we are respectfully requesting His Excellency to support the resuscitation of the state’s Buffer Stock Programme which has been in comatose for several years.
“This will enable the ministry mop up grains and stock in the state-owned designated warehouses during harvest to be sold to the public at a time like this at a friendly price,” he appealed to Bago.
