Food Sufficiency: Adamawa Govt Set To Boost Food Production

By Tom Garba, Yola

Adamawa State Government have set to boost food production and ensure food sufficiency in the state through mechanized farming.

The State Commissioner of Agriculture Dr Waziri Ahmadu made the disclosure during the ongoing ministerial briefing organized by the ministry of information and noted that his ministry will resuscitate the state's ailing Agricultural Mechanization Authority.

Ahmadu explained that when he came on board as the commissioner of agriculture, he inherited worn out and dilapidated tractors noting that his ministry is making serious effort to resuscitate a number of tractors and equipments to meet the current challenges.

He further explained that in 2015, the ministry only provided about 3000 hectors of mechanization adding that the ministry is strenuously working to provide between 80,000 and 100,000 hectors of mechanization in 2016.

He noted that when he came on board as the commissioner of agriculture, there was no provision for fertilizer to farmers adding that in view of the importance of the commodity, he sought the services of a contractor and ordered the procurement of 25,000 metric tones of the commodity in 2015.

The commissioner added that the ministry in its quest to boost rice production has procured about 130 metric tonnes of rice seedling which was distributed to farmers in the state.

He added that in line with the state government's resolve to boost dry season farming, the state government has provided a soft loan of N283 million to dry season farmers at 4 percent interest rate.

Ahmadu explained that the current declined in the country's economy was a wake up call for the state to decipher to other natural resources like Agriculture so as boost the economy and also create jobs for Nigerians.