The Federal Government has constructed silos worth N1.5 billion and executed various projects in Bauchi State as part of its Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, made this known on Tuesday in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State at the commencement of fertiliser sale for 2014 farming season. Represented by Alhaji Ibrahim Arabi, the Bauchi Zonal Director of the ministry, Adesina said that the silos were located in Wailo town, Ganjuwa Local Government Area of the state.
He said that the government had provided 36 tonnes of fertiliser to 12,000 dry season farmers at 50 per cent subsidy and provided salt and preservatives to 200 hides and skins dealers as well as 15 livestock to farmers. Adesina said that the Federal Government also supplied 22 motorcycles to extension officers on the payroll of the state while substantial number of youths were trained in various agricultural activities.
He also listed the construction of community warehouses, one-stop agricultural shops, agro-industrial processing estates and feeder roads as some of the ongoing and completed projects initiated by the Federal Government in the state. Adesina said that the GES initiated in 2012 was meant to reach out to 14.5 million farmers in the country out of which 4.5 million farmers were registered and captured at the end of last year. The minister said that 10.5 million farmers had so far been captured in the national database.
He said that 529, 800 farmers received fertiliser under rain-fed farming season in Bauchi State, which represented 400 per cent increase compared to 2012 while 46,937 farmers were reached under the value chains in 2013.
The minister said that 560,100 farmers were being targeted in 2014 in Bauchi State while 78 redemption centres had been established in the state as against the 20 centres in 2012.
Gov. Isa Yuguda while launching the sale of the commodity, announced that the state government had produced 60, 000 tonnes of fertiliser from the state-owned company.
He said the fertiliser would be sold at N3,000 per bag to farmers not registered under the GES.
Yuguda said that the state government had spent over N5 billion on the procurement of fertiliser since the inception of his administration in 2007. The governor said his administration had also purchased chemicals worth N1.7 billion for its fertiliser company.
He said that the state government had spent N2.6 billion as subsidy on the GES system since its introduction in 2012 while 300 agro-dealers and youths were engaged. Yuguda said that his government had constructed additional five warehouses while 31 old ones were renovated as well as the allocation of N240 million to the State Agricultural Procurement Company for the purchase of inputs.
He said that the state government had also purchased 23 tractors under its Pilot Tractors Loan Scheme at the cost of N72 million while awaiting the delivery of additional 100 tractors valued at N1.5 billion. The governor further said that the state government had purchased and distributed 120 hand tillage machines worth N470 million to smallholder farmers in the state, to enhance the skills of affected farmers. He said that 120 extension officers were recruited and 120 motorcycles were allocated to them for field operations while 1,307 water pumps were given to Fadama farmers on loan.
Alhaji Modibbo Nafada, who spoke on behalf of agro-dealers, assured both the government and farmers of hitch-free and early fertiliser distribution.
