The Zamfara State Government on Wednesday said it would procure 5,000 tractors to enhance agricultural activities in the state as part of its commitments to implement its proposed Comprehensive Agricultural Revolution Programme (ZACAREP).
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Usman Dan-Nabirgi stated this while speaking at the opening of a three-day training for small holder cooperative farmers organised by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ZACAREP agricultural programme was introduced by former Gov. Ahmad Sani which is now being reactivated by Gov. Abdulaziz Yari led administration in the state.
Dan-Nabirgi noted that the state government was making plans to come up with various programmes to ensure effective take-off of the programme to complement the Federal Government’s efforts in reviving the sector in the country.
According to him, the state has through the Federal Government signed a Memmorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Korea Government to procure tractors and other agricultural facilities for the programme.
“Apart from agriculture machineries, we have also commenced the procurement of bags of fertiliser to be sold to farmers at subsidised rates for the 2016/2017 dry season farming activities in the state.
“We have constructed 1,000 boreholes for dry season farmers and we are now making arrangements to provide pumping machines and additional boreholes to farmers in the state.
“We have other programmes to renovate earth dams and feeder roads to support the activities of rural farmers in order to enhance agricultural productivity in the state,’’ he said.
He commended NDE for the training in the state, describing it as timely and welcomed development.
The permanent secretary said that the state government would collaborate with NDE for the training of youths into various employment programmes in the state.
In his remarks, while declaring the training open, the Directore-General of the NDE Mr Kunle Obayan said the training was organised by the directorate to train 85 small holder cooperative farmers in the state and NDE officials in various employment opportunities in rural areas.
Declaring open the training, the Directore-General of NDE, Mr Kunle Obayan said the training was aimed at training 85 small holder cooperative farmers in the state.
Obayan was represented by the Head of Rural Employment Promotion Department (RRP) of NDE, Mr Olayinka Joseph.
He stated that the NDE had recently trained 6,000 unemployed youths across the country on rural employment programmes. (NAN)