The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono has stated that the tractors, fertilsers, chemicals and other inputs would be distributed to farmers under a soft loan scheme designed to boost agricultural mechanisation.
Nanono made this statement during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, in his palace over the weekend.
Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono informed that the Federal Government has concluded plans to distribute over 10,000 tractors and inputs to farmers in the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
The Minister explained that each of the Councils would be allocated Tractors worth N150,000 million each and inputs as soft loan to be repaid in an 11 year plan, ” what we need is that the beneficiaries must be genuine farmers and INDIGENES of the participating Local Government Councils”.
Nanono noted that the gesture is to assist farmers to boost their production capacity so that the government could mop up excess produce for strategic reserves. According to him,” the Federal Government would commenced implementation of the programme in the second quarter of the year 2020″.
He reiterated Federal Government’s ’s commitment to accelerate cotton, paddy and livestock productions to enhance job creation, food security programme and Internally Generated Revenue in the country.
In his remarks, the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, represented by Alhaji Basiru Sanusi lauded President Muhammadu Buhari over his commitment to reinvigorate the Agricultural Sector.
The Emir informed that the council had set up a committee to mobilise participation in the agricultural transformation programme of the Government, “when we heard about the federal government’s plans to give soft loans to farmers in the 774 local government areas, we set up an awareness creation committee to mobilize participation in the programme”.
He also pointed out that the committee would identify suitable crop in each of the seven local government areas under the Dutse Emirate Council and pledged support to the Federal Government’s policies and programmes.