The Federal Government has pledged to provide more support to farmers for massive food production in the country.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, pledged the flagging off ceremony of the 2021 wet season support to the adoption of improved production technology among Rice and Tomato farmers at Gabasawa local government area of Kano state on Saturday.
The event, which APPEALS Project Kano State Coordinating Office organized, was held at the Zakirai District Head office premises in Gabasawa LGA.
Nanono, who was represented by the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Kano Zonal office, Alhaji Abba Gana Yamani, said the Federal Government was committed to providing more support to farmers if they are ready and committed to complementing its effort.
He, however, called on farmers to sympathise with buyers by selling their farm produce at subsidised prices.
“Even though it is not easy to produce the commodities (farm) nowadays due to the numerous challenges, but there is need for farmers to also sympathise with buyers,” he said.
The Minister also enjoined farmers to embrace tree planting in their respective farms to check desertification in the state.
In his remarks, the National Coordinator of the APPEALS Project, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Jobdi, called on rice farmers to make the best use of the support given to them by the Project to boost rice production country.
He made the call at the
The flagging off ceremony of the year 2021 wet season supports the adoption of improved production technology among Rice and Tomato farmers at Gabasawa local government area of Kano state on Saturday.
Jobdi said the call was necessary to boost food production in Kano state in particular and the country at large.
He assured that the APPEALS Project would continue to partner with the Kano State government, KNARDA and other relevant stakeholders to achieve the desired results in food production.
He specifically commended the State Deputy Governor, Who is also the Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr Nasiru Gawuna and the permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture to support the APPEALS National Coordinating office.
In his remarks, the APPEALS Project Coordinator, Kano state office, Malam Hassan Ibrahim, said the Kano state government is committed to promoting production, processing and marketing of rice, tomato and wheat.
“So, we are here today in trying to support the adoption of improved agricultural technologies.
“Some of the technologies promoted which we are supporting farmers are urea deep placement technology. We support the use of Urea supergranules, the use of improved Faro 44 rice seed variety and the line spacing of 20 centimetres by 20 centimetres.
“And also we are promoting agricultural mechanization. We want to ensure that every two hectares owned by a farmer belonging to each group we are supporting here will his farm harrowed,” he said.
According to him, the agricultural technologies would allow rice farmers to produce more, from the usual 50 bags to 100 bags of the community, thereby increasing their income.
Also speaking, the Kano State Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Alhaji Zubairu Ibrahim, advised farmers to embrace the new agricultural technologies for improved yield.
He also called on farmers who could attend the various training on new farming technologies to extend the knowledge they acquired to those who were not opportune to attend the training for them to benefit.
The AFAN chairman also advised farmers in the state to ensure proper maintenance of the farming implement they were supported with to last long.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the support his administration has been giving farmers since he became president.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Kano State Agricultural and Rural Development, Dr Junaidu Yakubu Mohammed, said the agency would continue to support farmers in the state, especially in providing improved seed for better yield.
He lauded the Appeals project for the support it has been giving to farmers in the state and promised to continue to partner with the project for improved productivity.
Each of the 20 farmer groups was given 80 bags of NPK, 200kg of Urea (USG), 1000kg of improved rice seed (Faro 44), 80 litres of agrochemicals, 5 units of water pumps, thresher Tricycle and land preparation (Harrow) of 20 hectares.
