How Katsina farmers thrive on CBN, World Bank, other initiatives

By ANDY ASEMOTA, Katsina

Following the N16 billion loan for crops production under Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) besides IFAD project, Fadama Project of the World Bank and other agro – development initiatives, farmers in Katsina State recorded over N15.8 billion cash inflow and paid N510,937,463 to government as taxes and revenue since 2015.

Similarly, the farmlands under cultivation in the state have increased by 105% and crops production by 141% while the sector created 1,281,106 short term jobs and 299,413 permanent jobs, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of the state, Ibrahim Kallah Musa, has made this known in a press statement made available to the Champion Newspaper.

Kallah said: “Another development is the production of five hundred thousand indigenous free seedlings and distributed to farmers annually , this is aim at ameliorating the climate impact of desertification katsina is facing.”

He also observed that “since 2016, fertilizer distribution in Katsina State presents an unprecedented move that is fantastically progressive where about 150,000 mtn of fertilizer was supplied to our farmers at polling unit levels.

“This was unprecedented when compared to 120,000 mtn distributed in 16 years by the previous administration. It was only for 2020 when COVID-19 Pandemic disrupted the fertilizer supply chain that availability was curtailed.”

On infrastructure development, Kallah noted that the state had established a 10-ton Tomato procession plant at Kokami, five Vegetables drying plants across the State, four agro-processing centers and many agro-value chain machineries to farmers.

In the area of farm power, hear him: “Katsina State distributed 150 tractors to farmers. The distribution has made it easier for farmers to have access to farm mechanization and ensuring that the tractors remain within the State for farmers’ benefit with zero interest.

His words: “To ensure all year-round crops production, 16 irrigation sites were rehabilitated, and 7 irrigation dams were constructed. In addition, about 100 million naira is spent every year on Jibia Irrigation Project, a Federal Government Project where 3,500 hectares are cultivated.

“Furthermore, the State procured and distributed 1,500 water pumps across the State to irrigation farmers and sufficient fertilizer needed for the dry season operation every year since 2015.”

According to him, the Katsina State Agricultural Restoration Project under the leadership of the state Deputy Governor, Mannir Yakubu, who resigned as commissioner of agriculture on 14th April, 2022, in line with the new Electoral Act and policy of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to focus on his quest succeed Governor Aminu Bello Masari of the state, aimed at restoring the lost glory of the state’s agricultural sector that hitherto supported its economy and the nation.