The Niger State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Prof. Mohammed Kuta Yahaya, has said that in the last seven years, the state has spent over N15.6 billion in the development of the agricultural sector.
Yahaya made the disclosure at a press conference to mark this year’s World Food Day in Minna, noting that preliminary results indicated that about 734,000 farm families have been registered.
He said over 1.5 million farmers were registered and forwarded to cellulant in Abuja for uploading into the National Farmers Data Base.
According to Prof. Yahaya: “The state government in the last seven years has expended over N15.6 billion, out of which N1 billion was used for the purchase of 25,320 metric tones of assorted fertilizers and N830 million for the purchase 232 tractors.
Yahaya, who applauded the state Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, for his vision, said that certificate of occupancy has been issued to facilitate access to 250 hectares of land in Badegi and Katcha Local Government Areas of the state for the establishment of Staple Crop Processing Zone by the Federal Government, in which civil works had commenced at the site.
The Commissioner further reiterated that the state government deliberately avoided the purchase of fertilizers for distribution for the 2014 cropping season to encourage small holder farmers to get registered to enable them access fertilizers and improved seeds under the Growth Enhancement Scheme, which the Niger State Government had committed over N1.86 billion as its 25 per cent subsidy contribution by the state.