NAN-AE-11
Farming
By Kabir Muhammad
Abuja, June 7, 2017 (NAN) The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, says that his administration has procured enough inputs for all-year round farming by farmers in the territory.
Bello said this on Wednesday in Gwagwalada, Abuja, at the inauguration of the sale of subsidised inputs to farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said that the gesture was part of efforts to boost food production in the FCT and fast-track the country’s economic recovery.
The minister, who was represented by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr Babatope Ajakaiye, said that his administration had procured farm inputs such as water pumps, pesticide sprayers and agro chemicals.
“These would be sold to the farmers at 50 per cent subsidised rates.
“The essence of this exercise today is to provide support for FCT farmers through provision of critical agricultural inputs in order to improve food production and their income,’’ he said.
Bello said the FCT Administration (FCTA) would soon upgrade the facilities of 11 agro services centres of the six area councils of FCT, adding that the initiative would appreciably ease farmers’ access to high-quality farm inputs.
The minister pledged that his administration would ensure that farmers had seamless access to agricultural inputs.
“This is by keying into the Anchors Borrowers’ Scheme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as well as the revised Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme of the Federal Government.
“The FCTA is determined to improve the agricultural productivity of farmers by giving them incentives, while implementing projects and programmes that are aimed at making farming profitable and attractive to the youth,’’ he said.
Bello urged farmers’ groups and cooperative societies to take advantage of the agricultural programmes to boost agricultural production in the country.
He said that the programmes included “Agric Land Development Programme’’ in Kwali Area council as well as subsidised rental of tractors and implements to farmers’ groups and individual farmers.
He also encouraged them to embrace the “Back-to-Land’’ programme, adding that all the programmes were particularly geared toward providing jobs for youths and women who were interested.
Speaking, Dr Musa Aliyu, the Acting Secretary, Agricultural and Rural Development Secretariat, said that the exercise would provide support for smallholder farmers, while boosting employment and wealth creation.
Alhaji Mustapha Adamu, the Chairman, Gwagwalada Area Council, said that the exercise had clearly demonstrated the commitment of the FCTA toward enhancing agriculture in the six area councils of the territory.
In his remarks, the Ona of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Yunasa, called on the FCTA to assist the area councils in efforts to procure tractors, fertilisers and have access to soft loans.(NAN)
KM/MNA/OOK
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Edited by Maureen Atuonwu and Dayo Komolafe