FG targets 180,000 farmers to plant wheat, rice in Jigawa

The Federal Government says it is targeting no fewer than 180,000 wheat and rice farmers in Jigawa for the 2016/2017 dry season.
The State Director, Agricultural Transformation Agenda, Malam Ahmad Labaran, disclosed this in Dutse on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.
Labaran said 90,000 farmers were targeted for wheat production which would commence in November 2016; while 90,000 farmers were targeted for rice production in early 2017.
He explained that the Federal Government would provide seeds, fertiliser and herbicide to the farmers at subsidised rates.
The director added that each farmer would be given three bags of fertilisers – two NPK and one Urea (50 kilogrammes).
He stated that each farmer would be given 50 kilogrammes of seeds and two and a half litres of herbicide.
Labaran said: “This is because wheat is cold-loving crop, so it has to be planted between November and December while the rice can be delayed to early 2017.
“And for the seed, a farmer will pay 25 per cent while the Federal Government will pay 75 percent.
“But for the rest, a farmer will pay 50 per cent while the Federal Government will pay 50 per cent.”
He, however, told NAN that the ATA office would advise the Federal Government to reduce the numbers of farmers on wheat and add to those who would cultivate the land for rice.
The director stated the inability of ATA office to obtain 90,000 farmers to plant wheat.
Labaran said: “But unfortunately we could not get 90,000 farmers, so we will advise the government to reduce the number and add to rice farmers because we have them in abundance.”