By Donald Iorchir
Chairman, Kwali area council, Hon. Joseph Shazin, has given indication that his administration would continue to boost agricultural activities in the area through subsidising farming inputs.
He revealed this while speaking to Blueprint on the measure taking by APC-led administration aimed at giving priority attention to farming activities in the country.
The chairman pointed out that when he took over five months ago he repaired three broken-down tractors and were given out to individuals or cooperative farmers at a subsidies rate to enhance their cultivation, adding that the good gesture would be sustained for the next three years.
The Council’s boss reiterated commitment to stimulate production of agricultural output in the area, while urging farmers in Kwali and environs to embark on beniseed cultivation, noting that the crops could be cultivated without fertiliser.
Commenting on the federal government Anchor Borrower’s programme, Shazin suggested that government would have conducted feasibility studies on every locality to ascertain which crop had comparative advantage before arriving on rice and soya beans to be cultivated under the programme.
The chairman maintained that crops that were viable in Kwali which farmers specialised on cultivation included yam, guinea corn, maize, Egusi (melon) and gingered among others even as he stressed
commitment of the Council to assist farmers meet their targets.
Shazin tasked the federal government to Chanel its resources to research institution such as River Basin Authority, among others, with a view to tackling the anticipated famine beginning from next year.
In a related development, the chairman, Gwagwalada area council, Hon. Mustapha Adamu, has assured the committee on Anchor Borrower’s programme who visited him in Gwagwalada of the necessary support and cooperation for successful take-off of the programme, even as he charged farmers to take advantage of the scheme to enhance their farming activities properly.
He told the committee that the Council would soon compile names farmers, just as he appreciated the efforts of the federal government in the area of giving peasant farmers inputs to enhance their farming activities.
Earlier, the deputy director, Rural Institution Development Sub-programme projects (ADP), Salami Oshioke Abdullahi, said only genuine farmers would benefit the initiative.