From: Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi
Again, Kebbi and Lagos state governments have agreed to sponsors over 40, 000 farmers to produce soya beans in nine local government areas of Kebbi State.
Kebbi State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Garba Muhammed Garba, who confirmed this partnership during a press briefing disclosed that the agreements also involved private company.
He said another 10,000 farmers across the areas of Danko/ Wasagu, Zuru, Fakai, Ngaski,Shanghai, Yauri, Koko/Besse and Bagudo are being sponsored to produce soya beans, maize and sorghum.
It could be recalled that Kebbi and Lagos state governments had partnered on rice production which was raged LAKE rice and are been sold in Lagos state at the cost of N12,500.
The commissioner said that the ministry has also set up a committee to look into the communities that are producing vegetables such as tomatoes, pepper and water melon and see how they can be improved upon to meet up with the agreement the state has with Lagos State.
“The state with regards to its MoU with Lagos has decided to improve on the production of the crops it has agreement to produce for Lagos.
“The committee is to identify the communities that produced these crops”.
He stated that his ministry planned to organize the farmers into cooperatives noting that the state has ordered for 100 tractors, 100 thrashers to support the farmers in their various agricultural productions in the state.
“The Anchor Borrowers programme has created jobs, created awareness and improved the income of many families in the state now everybody wants to be a farmer .”