As part of the Federal government efforts to bridge the deficit in wheat production in the country and reduce import of the produce, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has commenced 9 states dry season wheat farming starting with Jigawa state, North West Nigeria.
The wheat production will be cultivated in 2500 hectares of land to be donated by states government and expected to yield 10000 metric tons of wheat.
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Speaking at the flag off ceremony of the first of the wheat farming in Kaugama, Jigawa State, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, National Agricultural Land Development Authority, (NALDA), Paul Ikonne said the choice of Jigawa state for the Official flag off of the dry season wheat farming is largely due to the soil texture of the state which is suitable for wheat production and the state’s track records in agriculture.
Ikonne said the pilot project of the wheat farm which will sit on a 100 hectares of land in Marke town in Kaugama Local Government Area, donated by the state will engage 300 hundred youths from the area.
He explained that while the state government provides the land, NALDA would provide input support, Training for the farmers, supervise and support them through the farming period and then off take the farm produce as a way of ensuring availability of market for the harvest.
While commending the state government on the land donation, Ikonne urged the state government to make available more lands for wheat production as NALDA is ready to help turn the state into a wheat production hub in the country.
The NALDA boss who stated his commitment to working with the state on the project said more land donation will create more jobs.
He maintained that NALDA is working in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate to make agriculture attractive to youths in the country and encourage them to see agriculture as a way of life and means of survival.
In his response, the Jigawa state Governor Mohammed-Badaru Abubakar said it has been established that Jigawa state ranks amongst top in wheat production in the country and said with NALDA’s intervention the state would become the biggest wheat producer in the country.
He further states that the effort of the state in agriculture is being complemented by the support from the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers Programme and now NALDA’s intervention.
The state governor noted that the state is ready to render all the needed assistance NALDA would need to execute the project.
Regarding the request for more land donation, the governor said Jigawa state has over 400,000 hectares of land that is good for all year round farming and that the state is ready to donate more lands to NALDA especially as the purpose is for supporting Jigawa people.
He further called on NALDA to replicate the Farm Estate model in Jigawa state.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
