News in brief: The government of Jigawa state has procured subsidised fertilisers to benefit farmers, with strict warnings against diversion. The move aims to boost agricultural productivity and help farmers during the wet season, especially considering the state’s reliance on agriculture and challenges posed by climate change.
The government of Jigawa state has procured bags of fertilisers to be sold to farmers at subsidised rates. Governor Malam Umar Namadi made the announcement while addressing reporters and the committee saddled in charge of distributing the product.
Namadi admonished committee members to ensure that fertiliser are distributed to farmers in need, equitably. He warned against diversion of the product, promising stiff penalties for misappropriation.
The state government said it had procured 120,000 bags of NPK fertiliser for the benefit of farmers and they are to be distributed by 43 approved retail stores at the cost of â¦16,000 per bag. They typically sell for between N25,000 to N30,000 per bag in Nigeria.
The governor mandated members of the distribution committee to instill commitment and dedication to their duties to ensure efficient and equitable fertiliser delivery to those in real need of it. He added that their duties would include supervision and monitoring of the sale of the products across the local government areas of the state.
This move is timely because Nigeria is well into its wet season farming and these input play a key role in increasing yield. Namadi said his administration is determined to boost agricultural productivity and it will make agricultural inputs available to all farmers in the state.
The Jigawa state economy is largely dependent on agriculture. Due to the state’s semi-arid climate, workers migrate outward to neighboring states like Kano in search of off-season work. Scarcity of arable land within the state has become increasingly problematic in recent years due to flooding, which will likely become more prevalent due to climate change.
