As a way of providing genuine and quality agricultural inputs to farmers across the country, the Federal ministry of Agriculture has embarked on  the commissioning of  one-stop-shop agro input centres with the recent launch of the  Wushishi in Niger state.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, who  inaugurated the centre, said the  ministry is very much mindful of the serious impediments in accessing good quality agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, agro-chemicals, seeds and seedlings, livestock feeds, veterinary drugs, tractor hiring, primary processing and extension services by farmers.

While explaining that about 62 of such centres were also ready for inauguration in other parts of the country, Alhaji Bukar Tijani added  that the Federal Government was committed to removing every impediments to the availability of agriculture inputs.

He said: “The centres are being established as part of the Agric Transformation Agenda (ATA) in the agro-input sub-sector to strengthen the food security programme of the Federal Government. They are aimed at providing market information services, promote private sector investment in viable commercial agriculture and enhance food security.”

He said each of the centres has facilities for about 500 tonnes storage capacity for fertilizers, seeds and agro-chemicals, as well as providing tractor hire services, primary processing and extension support services. While noting that three of these centres are established in Niger, he added that they will enhance the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) programme of the government.

Also speaking, the Chief Servant of the state Dr. Mu’Azu Babangida Aliyu said the centre would provide easy access to farming inputs to facilitate the successful implementation of the food production recovery plan for flood victims.

The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the state government, Mr. Daniel Clifford Shashere said the state has put in place strategies for the rehabilitation of irrigation scheme to encourage dry season farming.

“We are making appreciable effort in the supply of irrigation pumps to flood victims in the state to help them regain in dry season, the farm produce lost during the flood disaster. “We are discussing with the Bank of Agriculture on how to finance 1000 farmers for the cultivation of 10,000 hectares of rice under the Niger State Rice Investment Consortium Project. This is to further boost rice production in the state and to maintain the number one position of the state in the rice sector.

“To this end, the state government has earmarked the sum of 500 million for this project in addition to the provision of 25 new tractors with implements and other agricultural equipment,” he said. The governor urged the federal government to expedite action on the establishment of the Hydro Power Producing Areas Development Commission.

He commended the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in ensuring that farmers in the state benefited from the food production recovery plan through the dry-season farming. He called on Nigerians to embrace agriculture to boost the economy.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Alhaji Muhammed Kwotu Abdullahi said his ministry will support the centres with two new tractors with implements to provide additional tractor hire services to farmers within Wushishi and other surrounding villages.