Katsina Farmers Get 80 Trucks of Fertilizer, 8,000 Power Tillers, Solar Water Pumps
Katsina State Government has distributed 48,000 bags of assorted fertilizers, 4,000 power tillers and 4,000 solar water pumps to farmers across the state.
The items cost the government more than N8.281 billion according to Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.
The governor who launched the statewide distribution of the items for the dry season farming, said it was to build on the success of last year’s initiative that supported 2,040 farmers across 34 local government areas.
He said that the programme has been expanded to include subsidy on the farming equipment.
According to him, the initiative represents an investment in farmers and the state’s economy, with the aim of enhancing agricultural productivity and improving livelihoods across Katsina state.
Radda acknowledged Federal Government’s contribution of 80 trucks of assorted fertilizers to support the programme.
In his speech, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said using solar powered equipment was a step towards climate-smart agriculture.
“This, I would recommend to other states, so collectively we all make progress,” the Minister stated.
On the 2023/2024 wheat cultivation, Kyari said “Katsina was one of the states where production took place with 99.75% success recorded”.
The minister commended the relentless efforts of Governor Radda, saying he has continued to pursue positive causes with many focal areas keying into the programmes and interventions initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Earlier, Prof. Ahmed Muhammed Bakori, Commissioner for Agriculture and Livestock Development highlighted that this initiative aligned with the administration’s 20-year strategic plan.
The plan aims to transform the agricultural sector into a modern value chain supporting wealth creation, employment, industrialisation and food security.
He pledged that the ministry would ensure strict monitoring to ensure that the machineries were not sold by the beneficiaries.
