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By Anthony Maliki
Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong has assured farmers in the State of the determination of his administration to ensure that they get high quality farm inputs and training that will enable them produce optimally.
Governor Lalong said this while flagging off the nationwide first quarter 2022 roll-out of agricultural inputs distribution to farmers held in Jos Plateau State.
He said the roll-out is coming at the right time as farmers continue to prepare for this year’s wet season farming as well as carry on with the dry season farming exercise.
He said “amidst the numerous challenges facing our farmers in Plateau State which border on shortage of farm inputs, seedlings and requisite extension services, there are other extraneous security issues in many parts of the country such as kidnapping, banditry, herder-farmer conflicts and climate change. Apart from tacking these challenges we have in the recent years also recruited four hundred Extension Workers to promote best agricultural practices and to also carry out Climate Smart Agriculture that will adapt to, and also mitigate against climate change”.
The Governor disclosed that his administration is determined to run the economy of Plateau State on agriculture because of the natural endowments that gives the State the leverage to cultivate several unique and exotic crops.
He said the State has made tremendous investments towards this direction by reacquiring BARC farms in Zallaki, seated on 4,000 hectares of land. Out of this, cultivation of 1500 hectares of rice by the State agriculture company, the Agriculture Services Training and Marketing Company (ASTC) in the 2021 farming season has been done.
Lalong praised the Federal Government and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development for their collaboration saying that due to the high level of unemployment among youths which is causing many social problems, the State has developed a model to engage and empower 35,000 youths across 48 agricultural value chains. Another pilot phase for 10,000 youths will be rolled out soon for the 2022 cropping season.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Dr. Mahmood Mohammed Abubakar said the Agricultural sector has been a priority for the current Administration which became necessary to stimulate local production of food to achieve self-sufficiency, attract investments, create jobs and enhance the livelihood of farming families.
This he said made the sector to become one of the major contributors to the country’s economy, contributing about 25% to our GDP, small-holder farmers accounting for about 70% of national food production.
He said the roll out event is among the numerous initiatives being implemented by the Ministry, and the farmers will be supported with inputs Seeds, Growth Enhancers, Seedlings, Sprayers, Equipment among others. 35% of these items will go to Women Cooperative Groups, 15% to people with Special needs while 50% will go to Farmer Associations in various production clusters.
Abubakar appreciated Governor Lalong for restoring peace to Plateau State and also making sure that agriculture recieves the desired attention.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development in Plateau State, Dr. Hosea Finangwai thanked the Plateau State Governor for his close contact with the Federal Government and the Minister of Agriculture will resulted in Plateau being selected as the first place of the input distribution roll out.
He appealed to the beneficiaries not to sale the items as this will be detrimental to their economic fortunes and the economy of the nation.
Women groups and other beneficiaries thanked the Government for their support through the distribution and premised to use it judiciously.
