OVER 142,000 FARMERS BENEFIT FROM FG’S PILOT SCHEME OF AGRO POCKET INITIATIVE IN NIGER STATE 29-02-24
By Sadiq Aminu Niger State Government has forwarded the data of 142,623 farmers as beneficiaries of the Agro Pocket Initiative of the Federal Government.
The initiative which is under the National Agricultural Growth has Niger State as a pilot State and it is targeted at increasing food productivity, improvement and delivery of farming inputs among others.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Musa Salihu Bawa made this known while briefing newsmen in Minna.
He explained that the data sent to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has 96,000 rice farmers; 23,200 maize farmers; and 23,423 Cassava farmers for dry season farming.
Salihu Bawa said some of the measures taken by the State government to make the State the Food hub of the Nation, include the recent delivery of 300 tractors and 200 power tillers with more Agricultural equipment and other inputs being awaited.
He said the tractors would be paid with farm produce such as sesame, maize, rice and soya beans instead of cash as the state government will off-take from the farmers.
Salihu Bawa added that the profit would then be shared 60-to-40 per cent ratio between the State government and the farmers respectively.