From Muawuya Bala Idris, Katsina
Katsina State Government has targeted more than 25,000 farmers for agricultural support, to boost food production.
The state’s Project Coordinator of FADAMA Programme, Alhaji Mas’ud Banye, revealed this during the distribution of the support in Malumfashi Local Government Area of the state.
Alhaji Banye further explained that the intervention was the effort of Governor Aminu Bello Masari to enhance the production and processing of crops, especially maize and sorghum.
“The support was part of Nigeria’s COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme, an intervention built on the platforms of existing projects of the Federal Government,” Alhaji Banye said. He explained that the NG-CARES consists of three result areas in the areas to increase food security and self function of the food supply chain. “What we did here is to support small scale farmers on small agricultural assets for production and processing.
And the programme is for all the 34 LGAs in the state,” he said. Alhaji Banye said that the first circle of implementation comprised of 2,990 farmers, which culminated into 299 groups, explaining that the groups of farmers are going to get the grant for the first circle.
“After the first circle, we are going for another circle; we have four circles to complete the NG-CARES programme in two years,’’ he said.
The coordinator added that this was just the first circle, and at the end of the forth, it would target about 25,000 farmers to get the support.
Alhaji Banye said in the dry season farming, tomato farmers would also get such support. He said: “We will also support the livestock, fish and poultry farmers during the second and third implementation of the programme.
“He said about 1,650 livestock farmers were earlier supported with agricultural inputs in the first circle.’’
Earlier, the chairman of Malumfashi, Alhaji Maharazu Dayi, commended the government for the support, saying it would assist in boosting the economy of the area and the state as well. Malam Muhammad Shawai, who spoke on behalf of the farmers, commended the gesture, assuring that they would use the assets accordingly.
The items distributed included Knapsack sprayer, personal protective equipment (PPE), bag closer sewing machines and threshing machines.
