Jigawa state Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government to come to the aid of dry season rice farmers with solar-powered water pumps to save them from big losses on the current dry season rice production.
The governor said this is as a result of the scarcity and higher cost of fuel being experienced by thousands of farmers in the state.
The governor made the appeal while fielding questions from newsmen during an inspection visit to some rice farms along Hadejia Valley in Ringim, Taura, Auyo and Hadejia local government area of the state. He said he was in the farmland to see them on the effectiveness of the state government intervention and support to rice dry season farmers in the state.
Malam Namadi said this is necessary and urgent to save the farmers from experiencing big losses after investing heavily in the dry season rice production business, but sadly, the country experienced fuel scarcity and the unbearable high cost of the commodity.
He said, “There is an urgent need for federal government intervention aimed at saving and encouraging the farmers in order to achieve national policy on food security.”
ALSO READ: High cost of fuel, threat to dry season rice production — Jigawa farmers
Namadi noted that presently, there are over 200,000 hectares of dry season rice under cultivation in which 800,000 metric tons is expected to be produced if it is successful.
According to him, “Agriculture is one of the key sectors of his 12-point agenda and it will be used for poverty eradication, jobs creation, food security and building local resilient and sustainable economic development.”
Namadi stated further that the farmers were supported with various farm inputs at subsidized prices, as well as soft loans which enabled them to cultivate these large farmlands.
“Our target is to produce 800,000 metric tons in this dry season and also hope to produce similar in the upcoming rainy season. That means Jigawa will produce 1.6 million metric tons which is equivalent to 27 percent of the annual rice needed in Nigeria”.
Governor Namadi however told the farmers that his government is aware of the high cost of fuel which negatively affects their cost of production, and promised to collaborate with the federal government to get subsidized fuel for them.
He also promised to source solar-powered water pump generators and sell them at subsidized prices to the farmers in order to reduce their cost of production and increase their profit.
Governor Namadi then commended the farmers for demonstrating their commitment to their business which he described as very encouraging.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Alhaji Dauda Ali Kura told the governor that their major problem in this dry season farming was the high cost of fuel, as he alone spent over N5 million on fuel every week, he then called on the governor to provide them with an alternative to enable them to remain in the job.
