Jonathan canvasses farmers’ vote with N26bn for dry season farming

President Goodluck Jonathan has announced the release of N26 billion for the 2015 Dry Season Farming Programme in hopes of boosting food production by farmers, the latest group the president is canvassing for his re-election next month. At the start of the Agrifest 2015 in Abuja today, the president called himself the Farmers President. But […]

President Goodluck Jonathan has announced the release of N26 billion for the 2015 Dry Season Farming Programme in hopes of boosting food production by farmers, the latest group the president is canvassing for his re-election next month.

At the start of the Agrifest 2015 in Abuja today, the president called himself the Farmers President.

But he also took firm stance against rice importers today, vowing they would not hold Nigeria to ransom.

“There will be no sacred cows under my watch. All those owing Nigeria on rice import duties must pay”, he said.

According to him, rice farmers across Nigeria have a new lease of life due to the ongoing transformation in the sector.

The president also today directed the Ministry of Agriculture to provide, henceforth, annual financial support for the Argungu festival, saying this was to further spur the traditional fishing competition in Argungu and promote fishing eco-tourism,

He said he had approved the provision of N50 billion to support the establishment of 1,200 Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprises across Nigeria in order “to take the hoes and cutlasses into the museums and replace them with tractors and mechanized equipment”.