No fewer than 1,400 farmers in the Bauchi zone have been provided with agricultural inputs, including fertilizer, seeds, insecticides, and pesticides to cultivate wheat on 1,400 hectares of land under the federal government’s initiative for dry season wheat farming,
Hon. Sadiq Tijjani Kida, an agro-dealer overseeing the wheat dry season farming in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, disclosed that 1,400 hectares were allocated to farmers for the 2023/2024 wheat farming season in Bauchi zone.
“We have facilitated the allocation of approximately 1,400 hectares to 1,400 farmers in Bauchi zone for the wheat farming season,” stated Hon. Sadiq Kida, who serves as the Managing Director of K.T. Doma Investment Ltd.
Kida further emphasized that they are in the process of finalizing the allocation to the last batch of 29 wheat farmers before the Friday, 15th December 2023 deadline, ensuring that all farmers are set to begin their agricultural activities on the designated farmlands.
The intervention involves providing agricultural inputs, such as 10 bags of fertilizer (3 Urea – 7NPK), wheat seedlings (1 bag foreign and 1 bag local), pesticides, and insecticides. These inputs are made available upon a down payment of 50 per cent of the total cost, which amounts to N160,000.
Under the National Wheat Production Programme by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (NAGS-AP), Bauchi state was allocated 3,000 hectares of land, with Jama’are, Azare, and Misau each receiving 600, 500, and 500 hectares respectively for the dry season wheat farming.
Zuwaira Ibrahim, a beneficiary of the scheme from the Bauchi zone, expressed gratitude to the federal government for the intervention, highlighting the potential economic boost and enhanced food security from the support.
“I am immensely grateful for the agricultural inputs. This gesture will not only improve my economic status but also contribute to the availability of food supplies,” said Ibrahim.
Another beneficiary, Maigari Mohammed, also extended appreciation to the federal government and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, urging for the continuation and extension of such support to more farmers in the state.