From Abdul Ardo
Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has promised a N45 billion investment to upgrade the state-owned Fertiliser Blending Plant.
He said this during the inauguration of the 2025 fertiliser distribution exercise at Gajin Duguri Community in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.
Mohammed said the project is being implemented through a strategic partnership with the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) Group of Morocco.
He said the upgraded facility was designed with a 45 tonnes per hour production capacity, to enhance farmer access to the commodity.
“As part of the government’s ongoing agricultural support, 20 tractors have already been distributed to farmers across the 20 Local government areas, with an additional 40 tractors procured this year to be provided on a loan scheme,” he said.
Mohammed said the NPK brand of the fertilisers would be sold to the farmers at subsidised rate for the 2025 cropping season.
He said the state government also conducted an extensive soil testing to equip farmers with the most suitable fertilisers and crop varieties for their specific zones.
The governor urged the youths to embrace farming, stressing that his administration would roll out initiatives to encourage growth of agribusinesses.
Mohammed said that his administration also approved a two-day off work for civil servants,
for civil servants on Grade Level twelve and below to enable them to practice farming activities.
He commended the civil servants for ensuring full repayment of farm input loans they accessed during the 2024 cropping season and encouraged civil servants to take advantage of its agricultural development initiatives aimed at boosting productivity and driving economic growth.
Governor Bala Mohammed who emphasized that his administration recognizes the role agriculture plays in achieving sustainable economic development noted that the initiative is to enable the civil servants to actively participate in farming activities.
He announced a plan to train one thousand youths across the twenty local government areas of the state in various forms of agricultural practices to better their future.
Highlighting the potential of cassava farming in the state, Governor Mohammed urged the Federal Government and other states to take advantage of the economic opportunities in large-scale cassava production.
Regarding this year’s farming season, the governor announced that NPK fertilizer would be sold at a subsidized rate of twenty thousand naira per bag adding that forty unit tractors and other farming inputs have been procured to support farmers.
In a remarks, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Iliyasu Aliyu Gital represented by the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr. Bala Musa Lukshi stated that the ministry is working under the governor’s directive to tackle the issue of adulterated seeds and fake farming inputs.
According to him the ministry would also establish a platform for direct engagement between the government and farmers to promote and implement its agricultural policies and programs effectively.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, reiterated the administration’s commitment to ensure timely distribution of affordable fertilisers to the farmers.
Gital said the state government in collaboration with the Federal Government, trained 1,000 youths in modern farm skills.
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