The Minister of state for Agriculture, Alhaji Bukar Tijani made this declaration today while rolling out 2012/2013 rice dry season cultivation programme at Majin Gari, Badeggi, in Niger state.
The Minister however gave out three bags of fertilizers at 50% subsidy for 2000 selected farmers that would participate in dry season rice farming in Niger state, as the Niger state governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu promised that his administration would offset the balance of the remaining 50% to the lucky farmers, all in a bid to encourage massive rice production in the state.
Alhaji Tijani explained that the dry season farming was a special federal government intervention programme aimed at boosting rice production to reduce the likely effect on food supply due to the rice farms lost to flooding in 2012 adding that the programme was in tandem with federal government desire to ban rice importation by 2015.
Similarly, Dr. Aliyu expressed the delight of his government towards the federal government special programme designed to assist farmers in embracing dry season rice production in Niger state, assuring that his government would pay the balance of the 50% subsidy on the fertilizers that would be given to the farmers..“We believe it is mere coincidence that the federal government is rolling out this programme at this time, after the floods that devastated our rice farm lands last year.
We are also pleased that out participating farmers and stake holders will receive free seeds and 50% support from the federal government on the cost of fertilizers and other farm inputs, while Niger state will also pay the balance of 50% of the same items”, he said.
Governor Aliyu called on farmers generally to embrace dry season farming in Niger state, as the state government is committed to creating the enabling environment for irrigation farming to boost agriculture production in Niger state adding that the state has established the Niger state Rice Investment Consortium Project as a special platform to accelerate rice production in line with the federal government rice transformation plan.