Female farmers in Kano State plan to cultivate 3,000 irrigable hectares during this year's dry season farming, Hajiya Fatima Kiru, the woman leader of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), has said.

Kiru disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano, yesterday.

"We have about 3,000 registered women farmers under AFAN and each woman will be allocated one hectare to cultivate this year. But if they are interested in cultivating more, they can make their own personal arrangement," she said.

She said the association had already selected six irrigation sites in Garin Babba, Hadeja-Jama'are, Kura, Bebeji, Bakin Dam in Bagwai Local Government and Lambar Zango in Warawa Local Government Area.

Kiru said the farmers were expected to cultivate rice, tomatoes and maize, adding that the association had since contacted the state Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (KNARDA) for the supply of improved seeds and fertilizer.

She disclosed that the association planned to train its members on modern farming techniques and called on the state government to support it.

"We had the plan to train our members before now but we could not do it due to lack of funds and support." She called on the state government to give women farmers special concession in the distribution and sale of fertilizer and other inputs so as to encourage them. (NAN)