By Bayo Alabira
Dutse
Jigawa state government will soon begin the distribution of thrasher machines, the small and medium rice millers on loan to farmers across the 21 local governments’ rice production centres.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Inclusion, Alhaji Hamza Muhammad Hadejia, disclosed this while conducting a commercial agricultural expert, Mr. Esiniulo Basil Kennedy, round Hago rice field in Hadejia.
He added that the machines, procured from China, were tested for distribution under the state government youth empowerment programme on agriculture.
Also, the Hadejia zonal Director of Jigawa Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (JARDA), Malam Lawan Baba Dauda, said 54 farmers were engaged and supported with improved seeds, fertilisers and pesticides to cultivate 30 hectares of rice at Hago.
While, in his remarks, Kennedy promised to train farmers on spraying methods, use of modern power tiller tractors, trashing machines and mobilise them on value-chain in agriculture.