The Niger State Chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has completed its Emirates tour seeking support for the success of the Farmer Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s initiative on dry season farming.
The team rounded up its tour with visits to Borgu and Rafi Emirates.
At the Palace of Emir of Borgu, Alh. Mohammed Sani Haliru Dantoro Kitoro IV, where the Monarch applauded the dry season farming initiative and other Agricultural policies of the Farmer Umaru Bago-led administration and pledged the support of the Emirate.
Represented by Wazirin Borgu Alh. Abdulhamid Sa’ad, the Emir appealed that monitoring teams should be constituted to monitor the scheme when it takes off pointing out that effective leadership is about supervision and control to ensure that investments yield the desired result.
Some District Heads and the Palace staff who were in attendance called for a wide sensitization campaign on the need for farmer/herder cordial relationships and implementable crop insurance that would foster the initiative.
Earlier, the Chairman of the State chapter of AFAN, Alh. Shehu Galadima reassured the monarch that GOVERNMENT-AFAN committees would be set up for the effective and efficient execution of the scheme.
He said that Farmer Governor Umaru Bago’s administration is determined to transition the State from subsistence to mechanized farming.
The final port of call for the tour was at the Palace of the Emir of Kagara, Mallam Garba Gunna Attahiru ll, where the Niger State Chairman of AFAN shared the same gospel of the dry season farming initiative of the Farmer Governor Umaru Bago and the need for the Emirate to join the moving train in making it a reality.
He stressed that the concept requires the intervention of the Emir in educating his subjects on the need to key into dry season farming for their greater benefit and that of the norm of the state.
Responding, the Emir of Kagara, Garba Gunna Attahiru ll, who described the policy as a perfect project, promised total support and that the Emirate would do its best to ensure that the purpose of the scheme is achieved.
With the completion of the Emirate tour to get the buy-in of the Traditional Rulers on the dry season farming initiative of the present administration, and the positive responses of all the Emirates so far, it is expected that the scheme will record huge success.
Recall that a Service-Level partnership was signed between the State Government and AFAN, where the Association will serve as out-growers of different kinds of food for the 2024 dry season farming, while the Niger State Government will provide 550,000 hectares of land to 35,000 farmers to produce three million tonnes of food.
The partnership also has it that farmers are to use their own lands and water resources while the State Government will provide them with inputs worth N30 billion afterwards, the State Government will get back its money from the farm produce.
Also from the profit made, the farmers will have a 40% ratio while the government will take the remaining 60% ratio.
Bologi Ibrahim
Chief Press Secretary
to the Governor of Niger State
