‘Buy Off Excess Produce As Incentive To Farmers’

A farmer and philanthropist in Katsina State, Alhaji Umar Tata, has called on the Federal Government to buy off harvested farm produce as an incentive to farmers.
Tata made the appeal in an interview with newsmen in Bakori, Katsina State.
He said that the initiative would ensure increased farmers’ investment, especially in rural areas and ensure that they recovered their expenses with appreciable proceeds to enhance agricultural development in the country.
“The initiative will arrest the present situation of Nigeria being one of the world’s largest importers of food.
“The situation needs drastic approach from all angles to promote the agriculture sector to become a viable and lucrative business in Nigeria as in other countries.”
The philanthropist noted that most small-scale farmers had not benefitted from government support programmes in the past and underscored the importance of reversing the situation in the ongoing transformation programme.
The farmer observed that said soya beans and groundnut farmers recorded huge losses due to massive importation of cooking oil in the country and urged the government to extend the reduction of rice importation policy to soya beans and groundnut.
He also advised stakeholders to start farming support schemes from the level of farm clearance.
He added that having been involved in farming business for about 40 years, there was the need for more support to the agriculture sector, to reduce unemployment and enhance the country’s food security policy.
Tata also urged wealthy individuals and organisations to support small-scale farmers in the state with fertiliser to boost their activities.
According to him, the committee on fertiliser distributed had given out 3,000 bags of fertiliser free of charge to small-scale farmers in Charanci, Baure, Mani, Danmusa and Faskari local government areas, noting that women and community groups also benefitted.
He urged farmers to utilise the inputs adequately on their farms and commended the government for its efforts toward the development of agriculture in the state.