Abubakar Bello of Niger on Wednesday said that 6,500 farmers will participate in this year’s dry season rice production in the state.
Bello made this known while flagging off the second edition of the state two-day dry season agricultural inputs and equipment fair in Minna, he said that the measure would increase the production of the commodity and ensure food security of the state and the nation.
Bello said for the 2019 dry season rice farming activities in the state, the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) support programme is establishing 20 demonstration plots on rice cultivation in five local government areas of the state.
“The support programme will work with 2,000 rice farmers, while the FADAMA III Additional Financing will be working with 1,500 farmers in addition to 2,000 farmers under the International Fund for Agricultural Development-Value Chain Development Programme and 1,000 under the phase one of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme,” he said.
Bello, represented by Alhaji Ibrahim Matane, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said that government would ensure that farmers, producers, processors and marketers of agricultural produce employ modern methods and technologies along the value chain, he said that the state was committed to promoting and supporting the production of high-value crops such as rice, cotton, benni seeds, ginger, shea nuts, oil palm, cassava and soybeans.
Bello said that the theme of the event, “Improved Agro Technologies for Sustainable Income Generation, Food and Nutrition Security”, was aimed at creating awareness on cultivation and utilisation of the staple crops fortified with the essential micro-nutrients.
He urged the teeming youths in the state to embrace agriculture along the multiple value chain and not to rely on white-collar jobs as entrepreneurship in agriculture was a sustainable venture that would increase income and grow the economy.
