The Federal Government has taken a significant step to tackle hunger and ensure food security in the country by donating hundreds of farming equipment and chemicals to farmers in Katsina State.
The equipment is intended to boost farming activities during both the wet and dry seasons, as well as to enhance agricultural development across the state.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who announced the distribution on behalf of the Federal Government, stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is deeply concerned about the high inflation of food prices in the country.
Kyari made the announcement during the launch and distribution of farming items procured and donated to farmers by the Malam Dikko Umar Radda-led government in the state.
Senator Kyari listed the items donated to farmers in Katsina, which include 4,000 water pump machines and 4,000 sprayers.
Other donated items include 4,000 liters of insecticide, 4,000 liters of selective herbicides, and 4,000 liters of non-selective herbicide.
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Additional items are 4,000 units of organic fertilizer and 4,000 hermetic storage bags.
The minister stated that these donations are intended to complement the efforts of the state government in developing the agricultural sector.
He added that supporting farmers with such items would greatly alleviate their burdens, enabling them to carry out their farming activities with ease and help address food scarcity in some regions of the country.
Kyari commended the state government’s efforts to improve farming activities, noting that Katsina has successfully cultivated more than 12,000 hectares of farmland, compared to the expected 15,000 hectares.
On his part, Governor Dikko Radda stated that the farming equipment purchased by the state would be distributed free of charge to benefiting farmers.
Radda listed the items to include 4,000 hand-powered tillers, 4,000 solar-powered water pumps, and 48,000 bags of assorted fertilizers.
He also announced that more than 39,000 goats would be distributed to selected women farmers with the aim of boosting animal husbandry in the state.
The governor assured that measures would be put in place to ensure the items are distributed only to deserving farmers in the local councils.
He warned against selling the distributed items, adding that security and extension workers would monitor their use.
