Segun Awofadeji
30 September 2008
Bauchi — Determined to ensure bumper harvest this year as well as develop the Agriculture sector, the Bauchi State Government has spent over N3 billion to procure 44,200 metric tonnes of fertiliser for the 2008 farming season.
According to the state commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon Tanko Dutse, 27,439.20 metric tonnes have so far been received and made available to farmers.
Dutse who stated this while briefing news men in Bauchi said over seventy per cent of the commodity was allocated to wards and Local Government Areas (LGAs).
He pointed out that apart from the 25 per cent subsidy given by the Federal Government on fertiliser, the state also added 40 per cent; while the NPK, Urea SSP were sold to farmers at N1,800, N1,600 and N1,500 respectively.
On procurement and repairs of tractors, the commissioner disclosed that the state received 23 tractors of different worth N72m from the Federal Government and distributed them on loan to farmers at subsidised rate; while 1200 units of power tillers have been purchased at a cost of N470 million.
Dutse stated further that, each Local council has been allocated 50 tillers while the remaining 200 were kept under supervision of the ministry and 20 broken down tractors were repaired at the cost of N13.8 million.
According to him, the State Government has awarded contract for the construction of modern workshop for the Tractor Hiring Unit in Bauchi at a cost of N44.7 million; adding that the old structure of the unit would be renovated while workshop equipment would be provided.
The commissioner further revealed that the state under a tri-partite arrangement with the Federal Government and local government councils has provided animal traction facilities o small scale farmers in a funding ratio of 50:30:20.
He noted that the sum of N9m has been released to NACRDB as its counterpart fund to the programme, in addition to N15m and N6m being awaited from the Federal Government.
Also, according to Dutse, 20 local governments areas and 250 farmers have benefited from the loan package for the purchase of work bulls, ploughs and oxcarts.
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