The Jigawa Government has procured 14,463 tonnes of fertiliser worth N1.5 billion for distribution to farmers this cropping season.

The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alhaji Nasidi Ali, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse that the initiative was informed by the huge population of farmers in the state.

He said the commodity, which comprised NPK and Urea brand of fertiliser, would be sold to farmers at a subsidised rate of N2,000 as against the cost price of N4, 600.

The commissioner said 13,816 tonnes of fertiliser, equivalent to 452 trucks, would be distributed to farmers across the 27 council areas while 225 tonnes would be allocated to the state’s Agricultural Development Project(ADP). He said the ADP was involved because “ it was closer to the farmers and major stakeholders in farming business.”

The Kazaure Agricultural Research Institute, he said, would be allocated 18 tonnes to enhance its research into modern agricultural practices. Ali reiterated Gov. Sule Lamido”s warning that anybody caught diverting fertiliser would face the wrath of the law. He said government had inaugurated Fertiliser Distribution Committees at the state, local government and ward levels to ensure that the commodity got to the real farmers.

Hashiru Umar, a farmer in Auyo Local Government, commended the state government for providing the commodity to farmers at affordable cost.

“ You know Jigawa State is rated as one of the poorest states in the country, going by the statistics released by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

However, with the provision of fertiliser, insecticides and other modern implements to farmers, the economy of the state will improve. We farmers in the state have acknowledged what Gov. Sule Lamido”s administration has done for us in terms of empowerment and development,”  he said