ASHENEWS reports that the Niger State government says it has subsidised the price of fertiliser by 50 per cent for farmers in the state.
The Niger State governor, Mohammed Bago stated this while flagging off the 2024 sales and distribution of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs.
The Niger State governor, who stressed his administration’s commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture noted that the state government has invested in machinery and technology to boost productivity in line with the New Niger Agenda.
To further support this drive, the governor said that the State Government has made significant progress in delivering tractors, harvesters, and other equipment to support small-scale farmers as part of its commitment to achieving sustainable food security, reducing food costs, and addressing unemployment, especially among youths.
On his part, the Niger State Commissioner for Agriculture, Musa Bawa, disclosed that the Ministry has identified over 16,000 hectares of land in Wushishi, Katcha, Agaie and Lapai Local Government areas for the cultivation of rice, maize, soybean and sesame.
This, he said is in line with the Governor’s directive to the Ministry to develop a structure where every Niger State Civil Servant will cultivate at least one hectare to utilize the abundant arable land in the State.
The commissioner urged the state government to support the resuscitation of the State’s Buffer Stock Programme which has been comatose for several years as it will enable the Ministry to mop up grains and stock in the State-owned designated warehouses during harvest for future use thereby addressing the high cost of food crops.
