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Adetutu Sobowale
The Executive Secretary of National Agricultural and Land Development Authority, Paul Ikonne has said that no fewer than 400 wheat farmers are to benefit from the Federal Government’s intervention in the Agriculture sector in Gombe State.
Ikonne said over six million metric tons of wheat is consumed yearly, adding that the development was in confirmation of the effort of the current administration,
Ikonne stated this on Monday at the groundbreaking ceremony of 2021 dry season wheat farming in Dogon-Ruwa, Kaltungo, stressing that the country consumes more than it produces.
According to him, about 200 hectares of land provided by the state would employ 400 youths in Dogon-Ruwa and Nafada localities, as part of the government’s effort to support dry season farming.
He maintained that NALDA’s intervention cuts across donation of seedlings, pesticides, herbicides, pumping machines, further stressing that this would boost food security, increase economic prosperity.
Ikonne said, “The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has mandated NALDA to achieve food security and provide job opportunities for our teeming youth through the agricultural value chain.
“Today, we are here to do the groundbreaking ceremony of wheat production in Gombe State. Nigeria as a country is in dire need of wheat production. Our import value is more than what we produce and we are consuming more than what we produce in terms of wheat. That makes wheat production very lucrative and attractive for farmers.
“So NALDA will be encouraging farmers to go into wheat production, to begin to earn meaningful income, that will help us reduce the volume that we import and begin to consume what we produced.
“Our wheat consumption is more than six million metric tons annually and we are producing less than that, like 1.1 per cent of what we consume.
“So, a total of 400 youths will be engaged in this season of wheat production in Gombe State.”
There is a concerted effort to establish the first integrated farm estate in Gombe in line with Federal and Gombe State Government collaboration. He added
In his speech, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya appraised the effort of the Federal Government through NALDA.
Yahaya said, “These are testimonies in fulfilling our campaign promises to the people of Gombe State and the federation at large by the APC led administration. You are aware that agriculture is the mainstay of our economy which provides food and employment to over 75 per cent of the populace. The government will not relent efforts in providing the necessary assistance and supports needed by this group to be meet up with their requirements.”
