Bauchi state govt commended for increasing agric budget by 2.6%
Bauchi state government has been commended for increasing the budget to agricultural sector by 2.6 per cent in its 2018 budget. Bauchi State Public Finance in Agriculture (PFA) Budget Committee gave the commendation while presenting the agriculture budget analysis conducted in conjunction with a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative’ (FAWOYDI). Presenting […]
Bauchi state government has been commended for increasing the budget to agricultural sector by 2.6 per cent in its 2018 budget.
Bauchi State Public Finance in Agriculture (PFA) Budget Committee gave the commendation while presenting the agriculture budget analysis conducted in conjunction with a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative’ (FAWOYDI).
Presenting the report at the state ministry of agriculture, a member of the committee Mr Tosin Suberu said that their findings indicated that the state allocated 4.65 per cent of its budget to agriculture in 2017 but was increased to 7.1 per cent this year.
He therefore commended the government for the increase in the budgetary allocaton to agriculture and urged the government to further increase the allocation in line with the ‘Maputo’ declaration by progressively increase the allocation to not less than 10 per cent of the 2019 State total budget to agriculture.
He said that further increase will help develop agriculture, create wealth and diversify the state’s economy.
Suberu disclosed that, Bauchi is an agrarian state with total land area of 49, 119KM representing about 5.3 per cent of Nigerian land mass adding that the state has 4.2 million hectares of cultivatable land but only 1.8 million hectares is presently being cultivated.
He said that the area being cultivated represents only 43 per cent of the 1.8 million hectares available.
"Its vast fertile soil is an added advantage for agricultural products which includes maize, rice, millet, groundnut, Benny seed, cassava, beans and Sorghum". He said.
Speaking earlier, Chairperson of the Committee, Mrs Tabawa Atiku explained that the budget analysis focussed on small holder farmers 60 per cent of which are women.
She therefore appealed to the ministry to consider women while giving agricultural loans and equipment in order to encourage them.
Responding, the State Commissioner of Agriculture Yakubu Kirfi lauded the PFA budget committee for the analysis saying it would help government in identifying its lapses as well as improving them in subsequent budgets.