NAN-H-6
Seedlings
Birnin Kebbi, Oct.14, 2016 (NAN) In a bid to boost agriculture and enhance food security, the Kebbi government plans to distribute seedlings to 10,000 farmers at subsidised rates.
Alhaji Garba Dandiga, the Commissioner for Agriculture, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi, on Friday.
He said the distribution of the seedlings would facilitate mass production of crops and encourage more people to take to farming.
“We will distribute wheat, rice, tomatoes, guinea-corn and Sesame seedlings to our registered farmers,” Dandiga said.
He said the state government would also provide fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides and other relevant agricultural implements to achieve bumper harvest.
“We will commence the distribution of the seedlings as soon as possible to avoid lateness,” the commissioner said.
Dandiga urged farmers who benefitted from the Anchor Borrower Scheme to hasten repayment of the loan to enable others to benefit.
He said the government would soon commence another round of loan disbursement to deserving farmers.
Dandiga said that the end had justified the means in the Anchor Borrower Scheme, as the initial target was to produce 2 million metric tons of paddy rice, which had been exceeded.
NAN reports that the state government has registered another 5,000 farmers to produce tomatoes in commercial quantity.
The pilot scheme has commenced in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of the state. (NAN)
BKD/FLP/SOA
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Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Oluwole Sogunle