By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
As part of measures to guarantee food surplus for local consumption and export purposes, over five thousand peasant farmers across the three senatorial zones of Niger state benefited from the free tractor services of the Niger state Fadama Coordinating Office during the last cropping season.
State Fadama Project Coordinator, Alhaji Shehu Kudu Mohammed disclosed this in his office when the played host to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Council chairman, Comrade Abu Nmodu who led other exco members on a courtesy visit.
Apart from the free tractors, Shehu Kudu said the federal government through the state Fadama had implemented various intervention programmes to mitigate the devastating effects of COVID19 pandemic on poor Nigerians, including Nigerlites.
The agency under the Area two programme with four components, according to him had assisted farmers with inputs such as, fertilizers, chemicals and seeds free of charge, in addition to providing relevant implements for poultry and fish farming.
Under the Fadama Delivery Leave indicator (DLI), the FADAMA Cordinator said the agency assisted farmers with free bags of rice, maize, sorghum and fertilizer for improved yield while poor poultry farmers were given 50 day old chicks, bags of feeds and drugs to start their business and become self reliant.
Clusters of ten farmers each were also assisted with solar powered irrigation pumps after the construction of feeder roads, culverts and mini bridges across farming areas for easy transportation of farm produce to end users.
While promising to carry the NUJ along in it's coming programmes Kudu also pleaded with journalists to give the activities needed publicity for the benefits of the rural farmers and the entire Nigerlites.
State Chairman of the NUJ, Comrade Abu Nmodu, had earlier told their host that the visit was to explore and strengthen long standing relationship with the agency for more rural farmers to benefit from its laudable programmes.
Abu stressed the need for journalists to be involved in its activities because, 'many journalists are into various types of farming and agro businesses'.
He expressed optimism that Fadama would be able to accomplish all programs geared towards improving the living standards of especially rural people with effective collaboration with the union, assuring that the NUJ was ready to support the agency's initiatives.
Abu Nmodu commended the several interventions by Fadama especially in the areas of infrastructural development and provision of free agricultural inputs to peasant farmers in the state. NNL.
