NAN-AE-7
Extension
Gombe, Aug. 17, 2017 (NAN) Gombe Government says it requires no fewer than 3, 000 extension workers to adequately cover the farmers across the state.
Mr Sunday Lar, the Acting Programme Manager of the state Agricultural Development Project, disclosed this on Thursday while answering questions from newsmen in Gombe.
He spoke shortly after the Country Director, Sasakawa Global 2000, Prof Sani Ahmed-Miko, paid him a courtesy visit.
“At the moment, the ratio of extension agents to farmers in the state is one agent to over 4, 000 farmers.
“So, we require no less than 3, 000 extension workers to adequately cover our farmers in the state.
“The state has a population of three million people and between 70 and 80 per cent are farmers,” the programme manager said.
Lar said the number of extension staff currently working in the state was grossly inadequate to cater for the existing number of farmers.
He said dearth of extension staff in the Ministry of Agriculture and funding were major challenges affecting agricultural development in the state.
“The shortage of the extension staff is caused by retirements and death, and the state government is yet to recruit those who will replace them,” Lar said.
He said the state government had subsidised fertilizer in the state, as a bag of NPK was being sold at N4, 400 while Urea was being sold at N4800 per bag.
The programme Manager said government found it necessary to subsidise the commodity to boost agricultural productivity.
He called on the SG 2000 to assist farmers, particularly women, to access loan facilities to boost their farming activities.
NAN reports that the SG 2000 team was in Gombe State to meet with rice farmers with a view to assessing their performance on improved production technology, in which they are being trained. (NAN)
MTM/SOA
=========
Edited by Oluwole Sogunle