The Plateau Government said it has
procured and distributed 777 trucks of fertilizers to farmers for the
2016 farming season, in a bid to boost production.
The State’s Commissioner for Information
and Communication, Malam Nazif Muhammad, made the disclosure on Tuesday
at a monthly news briefing in Jos.
Muhammad said that the figure translated to over 400, 000 bags that were sold to farmers at a subsidised rate.
The commissioner also said that apart
from the fertilizer, the state government was committed to assisting
farmers with farm inputs.
“Government has sustained this gesture
in a variety of ways; for instance, improve seedlings of tomatoes and
Irish potatoes were purchased and distributed to farmers at subsidized
rates,” he said.
He further said that the state
government has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Greenlands
Integrated Agribusiness Limited to set up processing and storage
facilities.
“They include; fruit and vegetable
storage facilities, milk packaging plant, swine genetic centre, poultry
plant and Integrated (wind and solar power) Generation Plant.
“Government also signed MOU with SOLBEC Ltd. for the resuscitation of abandoned Panyam Fish Farm.
Honorable Ezekiel Daju, Commissioner for
Commerce and Industries, in his contribution, said that the Fertiliser
Blending Plant in Bokkos that was abandoned by successive
administrations would soon be resuscitated.
Daju said that the machines at the plant had been repaired and tested for several hours and they worked efficiently.
He pointed out that when completed the
plant would boost agricultural production and generate employment for
the teeming youths of the state.
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