Drought: 1000 tube wells for 2018 dry season farming in Sokoto

Against the backdrop of the low water levels in the dams, 1000 wells are to be constructed in Sokoto to provide adequate water for the 2018 irrigation season in the state. “The water levels in our dams are very low and will not be enough to serve the needs of our farmers for the dry […]

Against the backdrop of the low water levels in the dams, 1000 wells are to be constructed in Sokoto to provide adequate water for the 2018 irrigation season in the state.

“The water levels in our dams are very low and will not be enough to serve the needs of our farmers for the dry season farming," Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal disclosed on Sunday in Sokoto.

He said to overcome the challenge, experts suggested alternative ways of watering the farmlands.

“In that regard, we decided to construct 1000 tube wells in different locations across the state," he stated.

The governor expressed optimism that the effort would enable them  meet the target for the 2018 cropping season.

To support farming activities in the state, he said the state government had bought five supper tiller machines, 50 tomato grinding machines, 40 rice handheld harvesters and five mini tractors at the total cost of N64 million. 

Tambuwal said under the FADAMA III agric project in the state,  24,546 Sokoto farmers had  implemented a total of 1,786 business plans for rice, sorghum and tomato value chains.

The farmers, he noted comprise of 21,631 males and 2,915 females.