Sokoto State Government yesterday expressed its readiness to spend N1.4 billion to subsidise cost of fertilizer for farmers in the state in the 2018 farming season.
Governor Aminu Tambuwal stated this in Sabon Birni Local Government Area during flagoff of fertilizer sales for dry season farming and distribution of improved seedlings to farmers across the state.
“We have bought 500,000 bags of fertilizer at the cost of N6,800 per 50kg bag, but we have decided to sell the product to our farmers at the subsidized cost of N4,000 per bag. In all, we are spending the sum of N1.4 billion to subsidise the product.
“This intervention had become necessary in view of our determination to boost agriculture in the state and to encourage new entrants into the sector. We will continuously explore other avenues to grow and improve the agriculture sector bearing in mind that it is the largest employer of labour for majority of our citizens.”
However, Tambuwal said the government would buy 25,000 metric tons of fertilizer at the cost of N3.4 billion for the dry season farming alone in the state, saying the government would construct 1,000 tube wells to assist dry season farmers as a result of shortage of water being experienced at the Goronyo Dam.
On the seedlings, the governor said the Ministry of Agriculture had already procured faro-brand rice seedlings at the cost of N281 million for distribution to dry season farmers free of charge, while another N9.5 million worth of carrot, onion, water melon and garlic seedlings had been bought for the farmers to improve their yields.
He added: “This is in addition to the payment of N20 million counterpart funding to the State Agricultural Development Project (SADP) for the provision of tube wells to farmers as well as motorcycles to monitoring officers in 2017.
“The government has paid the sum of N40 million as counterpart funding to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and N56 million for the World Bank funded-Fadama III Project, which are all aimed at improving farming activities in the state.”
In his remarks, Commissioner for Agriculture, Umar Nagwari said the ministry achieved 80 per cent of its target in 2017, and vowed to do more this year for the benefit of the farmers.
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