FG Renews Pledge to Boost Agriculture

•Ogbeh commissions 30,000MT fertilizer company

The federal government has said that it is committed to supporting all agricultural investments to boost food production in the country.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who made the pledge in Kano on Wednesday, said that the federal government would continue to support the sector in view of the prevailing economic situation in the country.

“The federal government is determined to support all agricultural investments especially blending plants.

“The best sector to invest is agriculture because it is the sector which everybody needs including states and federal governments as well as the private sector.

“This, we believe will go a long way in boosting agricultural production in the country,” he said.

Ogbeh made the statement at the commissioning of ALYUMA Fertilizer blending plant at Madobi, headquarters of Madobi Local Government area of Kano state.

The minister, who was represented by the Minister of state for Agriculture, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri said the federal government had conducted a comprehensive Survey on soil map with a view to assessing the soil fertility across the country.

He said the reports would enable the federal government to know the type of fertilizer each state requires for use by its farmers.

The minister said the federal government would recapitalise the Bank of Agriculture in addition to restructuring the bank to enable it discharge it duties effectively.

AL YUMA fertilizer company is a privately owned company of Alhaji Ali Yusuf Abdullahi, which the company has the capacity to provide 300,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser.

However, the minister of state for Agriculture Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri also flagged off the 2016/2017 dry season Growth Enhancement Scheme in Chiromawa Redemption Centre, Garun Malam Local government area in the outskirts of the state.

Ganduje welcomed the minister and his entourage to Kano state, and for selecting the state to be the location for the flag off of Dry Season Growth enhancement scheme, and informed the gathering that his administration has invested a lot in agriculture but mostly with the input of the farmers.

Ganduje stated that the state doesn’t deal with middlemen but the farmers directly which he said has yielded some positive development.

Lokpobiri thanked the governor for agreeing to host the programme in Kano despite the short notice, and went on to also commend Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for the successes recorded under his leadership in the sector in the State.

He also said that the federal government is committed to continuing the GES programme despite the challenges being faced.