Some state governments across the country have highlighted some measures aimed at improving agricultural production in 2017, following the current economic recession, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Some of the state governments have concluded plans to turn to agriculture through the initiation of diverse policies to boost their economy and create job opportunities.
Some respondents, government officials and other stakeholders, made this known in separate interviews with NAN in Bauchi, Maiduguri, Gombe, Yola and Kwara among others.
They said the move was necessitated by the bitter experience of 2016, when the cost of staple food items rose astronomically beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
Most of the state governments in the country have also keyed into Federal Government’s Agricultural Programmes, especially the Anchor Borrowers Scheme.
Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State said government had concluded arrangements to purchase grains to cushion the effects of price fluctuations on farmers’ income and also store for future sales to people at subsidised rates.
Abubakar, who stated this while presenting the 2017 budget to the State Assembly, added that there are plans to establish farm training centres and demonstration farms in the state.
He also said that part of the agricultural programmes of the state for the 2017 was the empowerment of youth in irrigation agriculture at Wata dam irrigation project in Bauchi South, Galala dam irrigation project in Bauchi Central and Adalda irrigation scheme in Bauchi North.
Abubakar further said that the state government had keyed into the Federal Governments Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).
The Director of Agricultural Services, Bauchi State Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Suleiman Ningi, told NAN that the state government would invest over N150 million to support 30,000 farmers under the ABP.
‘’The Bauchi State government would pay the sum of N150 million to commercial banks, so as to ease bank charges and further empower youths and the farmers.
‘’Farmers are to cultivate rice and wheat during the dry season, while for the rainy season, farmers are expected to cultivate rice and maize,’’ he said.
The Borno State government said it earmarked about N7.72 billion to enhance various agricultural programmes in the post-insurgency era.
Goernor Kashim Shettima said at the 2017 budget presentation that the amount would be used to revolutionised farming as well as provide enabling environment for food production, maintenance of plantation sites and introduction of new crop varieties.
‘’Government will provide adequate farm machinery and other inputs to boost agricultural activities, while all Counterpart funds for NPFS, IFAD and Fadama III programmes shall be paid to access more fund.
‘’We have instituted several agricultural policies and activities in the State in order to encourage farming activities,’’ he said.
According to him, about 1,000,000 seedlings of cashew, 500 seedlings of Date Palm and 7500 seedlings of improved variety of citrus, as well as 21,000 mango seedlings have been raised.
He said this was in addition to the cultivation of 35 hectares of ginger crop at Kidang, Biu Zone as a pilot farm
and the establishment of 200 hectares of plantation each at Tamsu, Kawu, Mainta Kururi, Mainok and Auno towns.
‘’Furthermore, assorted seeds of arable crops were procured and distributed to farmers at no cost, while NPK fertiliser was sold at highly subsidised rate to farmers in the Southern part of the state.