Sokoto state government has expended the sum of N3.5 billion on the procurement of 12,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer that would be sold to farmers across the state at subsidized rates.
This is in an efforts to boost agricultural development, particularly the wet season farming.
In similar vein, the state government has secured a credit facility of N4 billion to be disbursed to farmers in the state to cultivate cash crops such as rice, wheat, tomato and others.
Gov. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state disclosed these on Saturday when he launched the sales/distribution of fertilizer and other farm inputs for the 2021 wet season farming at Shagari local government.
According to him, the procured fertilizer- (NPK and Urea), would be sold at the subsidized rates of N4,000 and N5,250 against the market prices of N8,000 and N10,500 respectively
As part of this too, the government’s securing of a credit facility to boost cash cropping was meant “to support the farmers who occupy over 85% of the farming population in the state to produce rice, wheat, tomato and other food cash crops,” the governor stated.
The governor also said the state government has purchased various seedlings, insecticides, pesticides that works be distributed free of charge to the farmers.
He also said the state government is planning to establish an agro cargo terminal with a view to export cash crops cultivated in the state to other parts of the world with ease and also to mitigate post harvest sufferings of the farmers.
Tambuwal also said state government is always willing to welcome investors that will improve farming activities in the state, just as he urged the farmers to take advantage of his administration’s efforts by being more productive.
In his welcome address, the acting permanent secretary of the ministry Alhaji Muhammadu Aliyu Tureta applauded the efforts of the governor, pointing out that apart from the subsidized sale of the fertilizer the governor also provides various opportunities to farmers in the state.
He also thanked the state governor for collaborating with turkish firm to purchase Sesame seeds to farmers in the state and also collaborating with Dangote to establish rice mill in the state which already the project reached advance state.
He said the efforts improved farming activities in the state.
