By Emeka Mamah
Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State has said that five million farmers have so far  registered under the Federal Government’s Fertilizer Voucher Scheme, FVS. Under the scheme, each registered farmer is expected to get two bags of fertilizer, of which one would be paid for and the other given free.

Yakowa also said that his government would establish three fertilizer blending plants to ensure all year farming, pointing out that his administration has awarded contracts for the construction of 24 dams and irrigation schemes to further boost dry season farming in the state.

He spoke while launching the Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Fertilizer Scheme at Kagoro, yesterday.

According to him, the dams, which were being constructed at Hunkuyi, Kufana and Kuzuntu had reached between 70 to 90 percent completion, while eight irrigation schemes across the state were under construction, with 16 other irrigation schemes at the planning stages.

He said: “If completed it would enable our farmers to produce all year round and reduce the level of idleness, especially during the dry season.

“Agriculture is our area of comparative advantage and we have to take its development with all the seriousness it deserves and back the Federal Government’s initiative in the drive to uplift the sector to diversify the nation’s revenue base away from oil.”