Agriculture
Monarch Tasks Farmers On Maize Production
The Emir of Birnin Gwari, in Kaduna Alhaji Zubair Jibril State, has urged farmers in his domain to resist the temptation to migrate to maize to groundnut production.
The monarch made the call in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja recently.
He said that the call became necessary due to their complaints about the lack of access to fertiliser.
He noted that the area was best known for maize production, admitting that the non-availability of fertiliser was the major reason why farmers were being attracted to groundnut cultivation.
“I am appealing to them because groundnut is a cash crop while maize is both cash and food crop.
“We, in Birnin Gwari are well known for maize production. We are among the major producers of the crop Nigeria,” he said.
He, however, urged the farmers to exercise patience while the state government intensified efforts to source for more fertiliser for them, to ensure bumper harvest.
Alhaji Ladan Abbas, a farmer, told our correspondent that all efforts to get sufficient fertiliser from the state government had not been successful, adding that he had resorted to the use of manure.
“Our major problem is that maize is not like groundnut. It needs adequate fertiliser to get good harvest, while groundnut does not need much of the commodity,” he explained.
Malam Isa Na Inna, another farmer at Sabon Gida, noted that access to fertiliser had become a herculean task to farmers.
“Even if you go to the market you will not find fertiliser. This is contrary to what used to obtain in the past when you would go with your money and purchase the commodity with ease, ” he observed.
Other farmers who spoke to newsmen on the issue called on the state government to make fertiliser available to farmers to boost food production in the state.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.