The Jigawa government has approved N5.4 billion loan guarantee facility to enable 40,000 farmers to participate in the Federal Government’s wheat production programme under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – AgroPocket (NAGs-Ap).
This is contained in a statement by Mr Sagir Musa, the Commissioner for Information, Youths, Sports and Culture, on Friday in Dutse.
He said the State Executive Council (SEC) approved the fund during its meeting on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari on Saturday inaugurated the 2023 wheat cultivation programme at Kadume village in Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa.
Kyari said the Federal Government has targeted 100,000 farmers to cultivate about 1.2 million tonnes of the produce in selected states across the country.
To augment the Federal Government’s initiative, the state governor, Umar Namadi said the state government had earmarked 200,000 hectares of lands to accelerate paddy production.
“In particular, the rich expanse of Hadejia Valley is also well known for its rich alluvial sandy loam and clay soils susceptible to all season and all crops farming – particularly wheat and rice.
“It is not surprising therefore, when 40 per cent of the land to be put under cultivation in this year’s Federal Government supported pilot wheat development programme comes from Jigawa State – 40,000 out 100,000 hectares being targeted,” the governor said.
According to Musa, the loan guarantee facility will enable farmers to participate in the NAGs-Ap programme in the state.
He said that each of the participating farmers would access one bag of seeds, seven bags of NPK and three bags of Urea brand of fertilisers as well as a unit of organic fertiliser and chemicals worth N135,375.
“Therefore, the council has approved the total sum N5,415,000,000.00 only for the guarantee payment,” Musa said. (NAN). READ ALSO:
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