The Gombe State Government has earmarked N2.8 billion for agriculture to increase crop and animal production in the state.
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo said this in Gombe on Wednesday while presenting the 2015 budget to the State House of Assembly.
Dankwambo said that the sector got the amount because of his administration’s commitment to sustaining and improving the sector.
He said: “We are all aware that agriculture is the main stay of our economy and the largest employer of labour.
“To support this endeavour, we shall be flagging-off the disbursement of N600 million Gombe state Revolving Agricultural Fund in early 2015, in our bid to increase access to credit by our farmers.”
Dankwambo explained that the fund would boost crop and animal production by encouraging mechanised farming.
He said: “Statistics show that out of every 10,000 households in the state, six are engaged in one form of livestock farming or the other.
“The determination of my administration to support this endeavour as well as the need to recapture and protect pastoral resources, informed our decision to create a whole Ministry for Animal Husbandry and Nomadic Affairs.
“We plan to consolidate efforts in the state, our targets are to make livestock farming a thriving business that would create employment and generate wealth.”
Dankwambo said the proposed budget is N86.7 billion.
The figure showed N21 billion reduction from the N107.7 billion budgeted in 2014.
Dankwambo said the 2015 budget took into account the fall in the price of crude oil at the international market.
“After a careful analysis of our expected resources inflow for 2015, we allocated budget envelopes to all ministries, departments and agencies to guide them in the preparation of their estimates,” he said.
Presenting the “Budget of Accomplishment” to the legislature, Dankwambo said N46.658 billion would be spent on recurrent expenditure while N42.80 billion was earmarked for capital expenditure.
Dankwambo stated that the state was expecting N6.65 billion from Internally Generated Revenue and N35 billion as statutory allocation.
Others are Share of Excess Exchange Rate Gains, N500 million; NNPC refund, N500 million; Budget Augmentation, N500 million; and Ecological fund, N500 million.
The governor said N9.4 billion was allocated to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to ensure the completion of ongoing projects.
He said that the government would also embark on new projects that critical to the development of the state.
According to him, primary and secondary education got the largest allocation of N5.1 billion for provision of class rooms, hostels, staff quarters and laboratories among others.
He said Water Resources was given N3.7billion, Agriculture N2.8 billion, Housing and Transport N2 billion, Health N1.7 billion, Higher Education N1.7 billion and Rural Development N1billion.
Local Government and Community Development got N14 million.
Alhaji Inuwa Garba, the Speaker of Gombe State House of Assembly, said the budget would be forwarded to the House Committee on Appropriation for consideration.