The Federal Government has trained 243 Katsina State smallholder farmers and empowered them with inputs to boost productivity under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS).
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Temitope Peter-Fadeshemi, said on Thursday in Katsina that the programme was part of conscious efforts of the administration toward reducing the spate of poverty across the country.
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Peter-Fadeshemi was represented by Alhaji Sani Bako-Fago, the State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Katsina state.
He said that farmers were not backbone of agricultural sector, but heartbeat that form heartbeat of the nation’s prosperity.
“As we equip these smallholder farmers with the tools to enhance productivity, improve resilience and embrace sustainable practice.
“We are laying the foundation for a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector,” he said
He therefore urged the farmers to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the training for the overall objective of the programme.
The farmers were trained on maize, tomato, pepper, okro value-chains, as well as, poultry and fisheries.
Also speaking, a representative of the FDAE, Mr Sanusi Nadada, said that they were in the state to supervise the programme and ensure that only the farmers “verified and validated” benefit from the empowerment.
According to him, 133 were empowerd with improved maize seeds, sprayer, one litre of organic fertilizer and two bottles of herbicides.
He said that 14 tomato farmers were empowered with tomato improved seeds, sprayer, organic fertilizer and two bottles herbicide; similar inputs were distributed to pepper and okro farmers, respectively.
Nadada further revealed that 40 poultry farmers were empowered with 25-day-old chicks and one bag of starter feeds, while 28 fish farmers empowered with two bags of fish feed.
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He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the inputs, and warned them against selling of the items for the attainment of the desired goal.
Hamisu Adamu and Aisha Lawal, who were some of the beneficiaries, commended the government for the empowerment and assured to make good use of the items given to them.
