By Tina George, Minna
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA, has distributed rice milling machines, sprayers and motorcycles to women groups and youths in Niger state.
The youths are 114 Community Based Facilitators from 19 local government areas of the state, six women groups and 19 extension agents are beneficiaries of the gesture.
While the 114 spraying starter packs were distributed for youth empowerment, six rice milling machines were distributed to the women groups and 19 motorcycles were distributed to the extension agents.
The Secretary to the Niger State Government, Ahmed Ibrahim Matane during the distribution at the Agricultural and mechanisation Authority (NAMDA) in Minna said, that AGRA interventions will help in increasing rice productivity to improve the income and food security of farmers in Niger State.
The SSG who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Economic Affairs, Alhaji Baba Wachiko said that the intervention by AGRA and other donor partners in the agricultural sector will go a long way in improving agriculture in the state.
He stated that as the largest producer of rice in the nation, the productivity of the rice farms in the state is still underutilized.
In his address said, the Commissioner for Livestock and Fisheries, Honorable Nuhu Dukku who represented the Commissioner for Agriculture said that the gesture will bring an end to the continuous lack of mobility of the Extension Agents and enable them to carry out their jobs with ease.
He said that without the extension agents, most of the interventions by the government would not be known to the farmers in the rural areas.
Dukku said that the intervention by AGRA will assist in addressing critical challenges in the agricultural sector in the state.
The AGRA Associate Programme Officer, Godswill Aguiyi said that the distribution is to improve the Niger rice consortium project in the state to increase rice productivity to improve income and food security if farmers in the state.
He said that solutions far, AGRA has reached 125,552 farmers with several interventions on good autonomic practices, increase farmers access to agricultural inputs and access to finance to agro dealer network and farmers group working under the project.
Aguiyi said that the equipment was acquired by Sasakawa Global 2000 with grant supposed y provider by AGRA under the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa In the state.
One of the beneficiary, Khadijat Abdullahi from the Wushishi Women Processor Group appreciated AGRA and the state government for the feature saying it will go a long way in improving their rice productivity.
