Since assumption of office as the Kaduna State Governor,, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero,has taken agriculture as a key sector in job creation with provision of inputs, access to funds and trainings to farmers.

Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero of Kaduna State with the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris helping a beneficiary with subsidised bag of fertiliser.

Farmers in the state now enjoy 60 percent subsidy on prices of assorted fertilizers procured by the state government for distribution in the current planting season, just as they enjoyed in the past few years.

In this interview with JIMOH BABATUNDE, Director General, Media and Publicity to Kaduna State Governor , Ahmed Maiyaki , talks about what the administration has done and still doing to transform agriculture in the state. Here is an excerpt.

 INPUTS

In the first year in office as Governor, Yero implemented an unprecedented agriculture support programme which provided support to farmers.  In 2013, for the first time in the history of Kaduna State,  over 11,000 metric tons of assorted fertilizers  (NPK, Urea, SSP, and Organic), chemicals and hybrid seeds were shared to farmers free.

The distribution of assorted free fertilizers for the 2013 provided 250 bags of NPK per ward, 180 bags of Urea per ward, 100 bags of SSP per ward and 70 bags of Organic per ward as well as formers cooperative societies in the state.

In 2014,  assorted fertilizers, chemicals and hybrid seeds  were distributed to farmers at  60% subsidized rates.  For instance, NPK that sold for N6500 in the market was sold to farmers at N2, 500.

In each ward we have 255 political wards in 23 local governments; each ward got a trailer full of fertilizer that is about 600 bags of different fertilizers. These fertilizers were distributed to genuine farmers at no cost.

Over 98 farmer cooperative societies also got the fertilizers, so in total over 11,000 of metric tons of fertilizers were also distributed free to farmers.

This also includes distributions of seedlings and other supports. Furthermore, the State Government made provision for procurement of tractors and other modern farm equipment in the 2014 budget. This is aimed at making farming lucrative to encourage the younger generation to take to the oldest trade known to man.

The aim in providing support to farmers was to tap into the huge job potentials and food security that agriculture provides. This will also provide alternative sources of revenue generation as well as raise our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

PROCESSING

One order thing is that in the past when farmers produce the issue of market becomes problematic. In 1981 under Balarabe Musa government there were some food processing companies that were set up. After 33 years, some of them became moribund as they were abandoned by successive government as attention was given to production not processing.

For that reason, the governor visited one of the food processing companies in Ikara, where there was a lease agreement between Kaduna state government and an Indian investor signed. The food processing company in Ikara can process over 16950 tons of tomatoes every year.

It also has the capacity to process another 5760 tons of mangoes, it can also process 5120 tons of oranges as well as 780 tons of pineapple per annum in the industry where the lease agreement was signed and part of the agreement, the company has a farm land of 700 hectares for the planting of tomatoes which is an part of the factory which the Indian firm is going to run over the next 10 years.

As we speak presently under the PPP agreement, the investors have taken over the place, they have started work, and the governor was there for the ground breaking ceremony. That part of the state is known for the production of tomatoes and the resuscitation of that company will lead to generation of employment.

In the company alone over 100 people will be engaged as factory workers and over 50000 farmers will go into production of mangoes, pineapples and oranges and will also be engaged indirectly producing raw materials for this company.

The aim of government in trying to turn around agriculture into major source of revenue is being achieved through this effort and that could also in turn lead to those who migrated from rural area to go back there.

IRRIGATION

In addition, to boost dry season farming, the government has continued to make adequate provision in its budgets for the rehabilitation and upgrading of state owned irrigation schemes.

Government has also done more in not making agriculture rain fed alone through partnership with the federal government on irrigation where 100 farmers are engaged. So as to make agriculture all year round, the state government reached out the federal government to make 1000 farmers benefit from the project.

Under the skill acquisition project, the state government has a project where it trained over 7600 youths and women in various trades. Part of the trades is irrigation farming.

People were trained on irrigation, on fisheries, poultry and different modern agricultural practice. Some of those who were trained are graduates and they all got starter packs after the training, for instance those trained in poultry were given working tools that relate farming so also those trained in irrigation farming in addition to seed capitals for them to start off.

ACCESS TO LOAN

To curb the difficulties being encountered by farmers in accessing loans from financial institutions, the State Government has  signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for  provision of  N1 billion to be distributed as loans to farmers.

The State has paid its  own share of N500 million counterpart funding, while the Bank of Agriculture (BOA)  has also provided  another N500 million (making a total of N1 billion) for distribution to interested farmers as loans. The Memorandum of Understanding has already been signed between the State and the BOA.

This is aimed at increasing the capacity of farmers in the State to expand their farmsteads and also employ more hands to cultivate the land. Governor Yero is determined to unlock the huge employment potentials of the agriculture sector, which will make the state food sufficient as well as boost its economy.

LIVESTOCK

The governor expressed worry over incessant clashes between pastoralists and farmers, so, as an intervention programme, the government approved the sum of N45 million for the rehabilitation, expansion and improvement of existing facilities in the grazing reserves, in addition to purchase of drugs for control of animal diseases and rehabilitation of veterinary clinics.

This was aimed at upgrading the livestock sub-sector in the state.