Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has registered 80,000 farmers to receive agricultural inputs at subsidised prices in Jigawa State.
Jigawa State coordinator of the agricultural ministry, Alhaji Sale Salisu, told newsmen that the beneficiaries were registered from across the 27 local government areas of the state.
He said the inputs to be distributed were for the 2024/2025 dry season farming, and in view of that, emphasis was paid to Fadama and other areas with irrigation schemes for the registration.
Alhaji Salisu noted that the distribution exercise had already commenced and over 60,000 farmers had already received their inputs.
According to him, selected agro dealers in collaboration with the ministry had selected designated points for collecting the inputs within the farmers’ communities to avoid unnecessary expenditure on farmers.
“The programme is part of the federal government’s agenda for food security and reducing unemployment through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket Inputs Packages for NAGS 2024/2025.
“In the course of the registration we noticed some little challenges and took note of them for future exercises,” Sale stated.
A farmer, Malam Rufai Ruga of Tsakuwawa village, commended the federal government for the intervention, and called for improvement in the distribution process.
“Such intervention is very encouraging to farmers, but there is need for the federal government and agro dealers to be smart in making the process timely, considering that the planting season is almost ended now,” he said.
