By Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi
The minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has launched Kebbi Governor’s Agricultural programme, Kaura Agricultural Development and Growth Agenda, KADAGE, in Suru Local Government Area of Kebbi, Thursday.
At the programme, solar-powered water pumps and power tillers were distributed to farmers under the KADAGE project.
According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu, was committed to improving agriculture and attaining food security in the country in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renew Hope Agenda.
“President Tinubu has made food security number one item in his Renew Hope Agenda through improvement of agricultural production.
“All programmes on the agenda are connected to agriculture, such as wealth creation and poverty eradication”.
Kyari informed the gathering that Governor Nasir Idris was at his ministry in Abuja to discuss ways of improving agricultural production in the state.
Kyari observed that year-round farming would boost crop cultivation, increase job opportunities, reduce poverty, de-escalate food inflation and enhance inclusivity.
“These are goals highlighted in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Kebbi is one of the states chosen for dry season farming,” he said.
While distributing the farm inputs, Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu said that his administration would distribute 12,000 solar-powered water pumps, commencing with the 6,000 distributed to farmers for them to increase yields.
“The state government will purchase 20,000 units of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered water pumps as a back-up to the solar pumps to increase the number of benefiting farmers in the state,” he said.
Idris warned the beneficiaries not to sell the items, saying that the government would take punitive action against any body found trading off the pumps.
Idris also averred that his immediate predecessor, Senator Atiku Bagudu, had done his best to put the state on the map of the world as the leading rice producers in the country.
The governor assured that he would consolidate on the achievement and improve production of the crop.