Farmers, others win prizes at Katsina livestock show
No fewer than 141 farmers, agricultural institutions, animal feeds and veterinary medicine companies and vendors won different prizes at the just concluded 2014 livestock show organised by the Katsina State Government.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Musa Adamu, made this known in Funtua on Wed while presenting various prizes to the winners at the event.
Represented by Alhaji Musa Hassan, the General Manager of Katsina State Afforestation Project Unit, Adamu said 57 persons emerged with first prizes positions while others got either second or third positions.
He explained that all categories of farmers were considered from small and big animal keepers, bee, fish and poultry farmers.
He said others won in specialised domestic and wild birds keepers category.
The commissioner commended the committee for recognising Nigerian and foreign animals, along with locally bred and modern bred animals in the award selection processes.
He thanked owners of animal feeds and medicine vendors as well as agricultural institutions who participated in the event.
He urged them not to relent in their efforts to educate and provide quality materials that would improve agricultural production in the country.
Earlier, the Director of Agricultural Services in the state Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Muhammadu Bello, urged the participants to recognise the prizes as a motivation toward increased food production.
Bello reiterated the state government's commitment to ensuring execution of policies that would facilitate expansion of agricultural activities to enhance job creation and economic activities.
He expressed regret that the last livestock show in the state took place 32 years ago.
The director said that the annual shows were revived in three centres in the state to rejuvenate relationship among farmers and promote sportsmanship in agricultural production.
He expressed optimism that the exercise would enhance quality and quantity of agricultural production across the state.
He also said that the show would provide an avenue through which farmers would, among themselves, exchange ideas that would strengthen maximum gains in the sector.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 34 local councils of the state, some federal and state government-owned agricultural institutions, animal feeds and veterinary medicine companies and vendors participated in the show.
Meanwhile, Hajia Ramu Abdullahi, Dr Ibrahim Kurami, as well as other prize winners expressed appreciation for the government's gesture.
They noted that the awards had demonstrated the government's commitment to encourage more people to embrace agriculture.
The beneficiaries explained that the state had many livestock, fish, bee and poultry farmers, in addition to the good land for rainy and dry season farming.
The event was held from Feb. 8 to Feb. 10 at Daudawa village in Faskari local government area.