‘Bauchi Can Produce 450,000 Tons Of Wheat Annually’

The General Manager,
Bauchi Agricultural Supply Company (BASAC), Alhaji Kabiru Sade, says Bauchi State has the potentials to produce 450,000 tons of unprocessed wheat annually.
He told newsmen on Sunday  in Bauchi that a survey conducted by Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BSADP), showed that the state had over 150,000 hectares of arable land for the production of wheat that were lying fallow.
“The BSADP Crop Area Yield Survey indicates that Tilde Fulani, Jama’are, Dindima, Darazo, Kirfi and some other towns in the state, can produce wheat.
“The state during IBB’s mass production of wheat scheme, cultivated about 25,000 hectares out of the figure and participating farmers reaped between 30 bags and 100 bags of the produce.
“If the state government will re-introduce wheat production in the state, to generate huge foreign currency for the state and the country at large,” Sade said.
The agronomist, who is also a Researcher, said government must look at agriculture as a commercial venture and not merely a means of subsistence if the country was to reduce its over-dependence on oil revenue.
The general manager also faulted the saying that “market forces should determine prices,” saying that “government should create marketing boards and fix minimum price.”
“If government wants to embark on agriculture to attract foreign exchange, ict should introduce programmes that would encourage the production of wheat and other crops that would attract foreign buyers.