Thursday, October 6,
2016
Kogi State government
has concluded plans to establish six farm settlements across the three
senatorial districts of the state.
Special Adviser to the
Governor on Local Government Affairs, Mr. Abubakar Ohere, disclosed this
yesterday, while addressing administrators of the 21 local government councils
of the state on the government's New Agenda blueprint.
Ohere said farmers in
the settlements would be encouraged to embark on mechanised farming and
provided with extension services to ensure food sufficiency in the state.
According to him,
"the proposed farm settlements are being initiated in response to the
government's desire to use agriculture to create jobs and wealth for the
youths.
"Farmers that will
be engaged under the scheme will also be trained on how to handle simple
farming tools. The tools will be fabricated locally to save money and sold to
farmers at subsidised rates."
Ohere disclosed that
252 shear butter farmers selected across the 21 local government areas in the
state would be going for a capacity building train-the-trainers workshop in
Minna, Niger State, in the next few weeks, as part of efforts by government to
make the product a foreign exchange earner.
SOURCE: VANGUARD