Boosting agriculture in Zamfara

The team was led by former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Malami Buwai, former Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi, the Sarkin Noma Zamfara, Hassan Mohammed Kwazo and leaders of various farmers’ associations and agro-dealers in the state.In his speech, the former agriculture minister said Zamfara is largely an agricultural state where the people engage […]

The team was led by former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Malami Buwai, former Zamfara State Governor, Alhaji Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi, the Sarkin Noma Zamfara, Hassan Mohammed Kwazo and leaders of various farmers’ associations and agro-dealers in the state.
In his speech, the former agriculture minister said Zamfara is largely an agricultural state where the people engage in wet and dry season farming, livestock farming and fishing. He said the visit was to appreciate the intervention effort by the federal government in the areas of fertilizer, seeds and loans to farmers with the belief that it will yield excellent results, amongst them achieving food security, poverty reduction and provision of employment.
Alhaji Sani Dahiru, speaking on behalf of the Zamfara State Farmers’ Association said in spite of the state government’s refusal to key into the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) programme – a scheme that allows government to get inputs directly to farmers through mobile phones at subsidised rate – farmers in the state paid 75% cost of the inputs supplied.
He stressed that ‘we have no other business but farming,’ and appealed to the federal government to further subsidise the inputs by 50% to enable farmers enjoy the programme like their counterparts in other states in the country, adding that  this will go a long way in boosting the morale of farmers and also attract the youths to become self-employed by taking up agriculture.
He also called for proper legislation to back the GES programme as this is the only way farmers will have access to direct and qualitative inputs.
“Our ginneries need to be updated to modern standard. We need access to loan at zero percent digit so that we can buy modern equipment. Farmers are also asking for an early and timely distribution of inputs.
“Honourable minister sir, you promised to have two mechanised tractor hiring units in Zamfara State for farmers to have access to tractors. This is a commendable effort and we are expecting that to start soon. The three rice milling plants to be established in the state through private-partnership participation are quite commendable, this too we expect the programme to start soon,’ Dahiru requested.
In order to bring back the past glory of commodities board, “there is an urgent need to revive commodities marketing agencies in the country,” he said.
Alhaji Shuaibu Bello, Chief Executive Officer, Interproducts Limited, who represented Association of Agro Dealers, said these days farmers don’t talk about adulteration of fertilizer because agro dealers are having their full margin  “so why do we need to adulterate to make more profit?” he asked rhetorically.
‘We have wider reach of inputs. The day we gave two bags to a woman in Nasarawa State, that woman could not leave. She still doubted can she go with it? Are we sure it was her fertilizer? People are asking for more today because they have gotten two and then want more,’ he said.
He said the agro dealers were grateful to the minister because he afforded them single digit interest rates on loans. ‘Initially banks were very reluctant, but now we have banks hovering on us to give us loans. In fact we have to at times dodge from banks,’ he said.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Adesina, said the ministry registered 375,000 farmers in Zamfara State this year. Those that were contacted to get fertilizer and seeds were 165,000 out of which 121,000 (73%) redeemed their seed and fertilizer and paid 75 percent of the cost, because the state government refused to pay 25 percent counterpart cost.
He said the total number of farmers that redeemed their fertilizer in Zamfara last year (2012) were 28,000 while this year 121,000, representing an increase of 335 percent, got the inputs.
‘Food security is about the democracy of the stomach and that is the right of every Nigerian. It is time Nigerians began to appreciate Nigerian farmers and what they are doing in the area of food production because poverty cannot be traded in the world market. Joblessness cannot be exported,’ Adesina said.
The minister said this dry season their expectation is to produce 1.6 million metric tonnes of paddy rice. In the main season that has just ended, the total paddy rice production was estimated at 984,000 metric tonnes. This means that the total number produced in both seasons will be 2.6 million metric tonnes of paddy rice. If translated in milled rice, it will be 1.7 million metric tonnes. That means we can produce 80 percent of what our needs are if we can mill it at industrial scale quality. The total amount the country is importing is 2.1 million metric tonnes.
The minister announced in the meeting that the federal government will subsidise inputs at 50 percent pending when they resolve the GES issue with the Zamfara State government. He also promised the farmers loans at single digit interest rate.
On mechanised services, the minister announced that he has directed the Chairman of Ministerial Agricultural Mechanisation Committee, Dr. Ahmed Adekunle to open up four Agricultural Equipment Hiring Centres in Zanfara State.
Each one of the four centres will have five tractors, five ploughs, five harrows, and threshers. The interest rates for those who operate the centres to pay back is 7 per cent. The repayment period shall be in four years. The federal government will pay the initial 90 percent cost while the operators will eventually payback and own the equipment.
Dr. Adesina said the ministry is committing N3.6 billion to support the establishment of 80 Agricultural Equipment Hiring Centres across the country in partnership with the private sector such as tractor and equipment owners.