Nigeria Content Online

Farmers in Jigawa State have commended the state government for making fertiliser available and affordable to them.

Hashiru Umar, a
farmer in Auyo Local Government Area of the state, who spoke with the
News Agency of Nigeria, on Monday, in Dutse, said the gesture would
improve the state’s lot. “This singular gesture by Governor Sule Lamido
is one of the things that farmers in the state will not forget,” he
said. “You know Jigawa State is rated as one of the poorest states in
the country going by statistics released by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
However, with the provision of fertilisers, insecticides, and other
modern farming implements to farmers, the economy of the state will
improve.’’

Nasidi Ali, the
state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, had told
announced that 14,463 tonnes of fertiliser, worth N1.5 billion, would be
distributed to farmers. Mr Ali said the gesture was meant to support
farmers who constitute the bulk of the state’s population and also to
boost food production. According to him, the fertiliser brands comprised
of NPK and Urea; and would be sold to farmers at a subsidised rate of
N2,000 as against the cost price of N4,600.

Giving a breakdown of how it will be distributed, the commissioner
said that 13,816 tonnes would be distributed to farmers across the 27
local government areas of the state, while 225 tonnes would be
allocated to the state’s Agricultural Development Programme. He also
reiterated the governor’s warning that anybody caught diverting the
commodity would face the wrath of the law. And to prevent diversion, Mr
Ali said fertiliser distribution committees had been constituted at the
state, local government and ward levels.

NAN