By; Mohammed Kawu, Bauchi
The sum of over N100 billion is to be accessed by the Bauchi state government for the implementation of various International and other Support Agencies Projects that includes livestock productivity support project, special agric processing zone, and ACReSAL, among others.
The State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed who made the disclosure, said that it is a long term World Bank and other development partners loan, which he assured the federal government, particularly the ministry of finance that Bauchi would put the money into judicious use to enhance food security in the state.
He was speaking while flagging-off the 2024 rain-fed cropping season, sale of fertilizer and agricultural implements and inputs held in Dass LGA, where he revealed that arrangements have also reached advanced stage for the state to establish Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone.
The Governor said, “Bauchi is the only state out of the 36 states in the federation that got the World Bank funding to establish Livestock Service Centre in the country. This is indeed a great achievement and good recognition by such a global body”.
He explained that the establishment of the agro-industrial processing zone is processed through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to be funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), Islamic Developmental Bank, and other International Support Agencies.
“In this regard, an agro-industrial hub will be established and several other agro-transformation centres within the state senatorial districts where agro-processing and value addition activities would be done to some agricultural commodities across the value chains which are of great comparative economic advantage to the state”.
“I want to inform Your Royal Highness, the Emir of Dass, My Emir that Dass is one of the identified and approved Agro-Processing Centre. By this, we shall no longer experience post-harvest loss of our farm produce, we shall also ceased to cultivate for local consumption only, but we would be processing and also exporting it’.
Mohammed added, “By doing so, we shall increase the GDP of the state and indeed the country. This is the science- driven and knowledge-driven initiative, and I believe we have the capacity to do it. The World Bank initiative is always showing us that you can use knowledge, understanding to concur your environment”.
He explained that all the palliations that the government is doing is temporary because, as the governor puts it, Bauchi state alone is capable of feeling the country, saying, “All what we need is for everybody to be on board, to be dedicated and be looking inward, otherwise what we are distributing as palliation will not be enough”
Senator Bala Mohammed stated that for Bauchi to consolidate it’s agricultural transformation initiative, the state government is planning to acquire heavy-duty agricultural equipment to raise the level of agricultural production
The Governor lamented that against the dwindling rainfall being experienced in northern part of the country over years, Bauchi state government was compelled to make use of forecast information regarding climate change.
According to him, Bauchi must be proactive by planting early maturing and drought resistance veriety of all the crops for economic gains as recommended to the state government by professionals.
Senator Bala Mohammed therefore directed the state ministry of agriculture to make sure that at the onset of every farming season, it procure good and durable seeds or grains that would be planted which would resist all environmental problems the state is experiencing.
“In order to consolidate our agricultural transformation initiative, government is planning to acquire heavy duty agricultural equipment to raise the level of our agricultural production. We are also determine to ensure that extension workers are employed and trained so that we can improve our yields”.
‘”Our state is bless with abundant lands, human and natural
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