From Our Correspondent
Wheat farmers in Kaduna State are in a joyous mood, praising the Federal Government for subsidising inputs for dry-season wheat farming by half, on Sunday in Zaria, Kaduna State.
TheNewsZenith reports that the government subsidises dry season wheat farming inputs by 50 per cent under its National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS –AP) initiative.
For dry-season wheat farming, a beneficiary is required to deposit N180,500. This is 50 per cent of the total cost of the inputs to qualify for the subsidy.
Alhaji Bashir Tanko, Chairman of the Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN), told newsmen that many beneficiaries had received alerts as redemption of the inputs at designated areas in the state.
He, however, complained that many wheat farmers could still not afford the mandatory N180,500 deposit to qualify for the subsidy.
“Most members already planted wheat in anticipation of the government’s intervention to augment their personnel efforts.
Read Related News:
Don seeks subsidised inputs for farmers
NASENI, Agric Ministry partner on Agro-Industrialisation, others
“But many of them had exhausted a significant amount of their resources.
“Since they could not benefit from the subsidy, they would continue to use their resources,’’ Tanko said.
He assured the government that the association would help to recover the loan given to wheat farmers promptly.
He urged other stakeholders not to regard assistance extended to farmers as a bad debtor.
TheNewsZenith recalled that Agriculture Minister, Abubakar Kyari, last week in Dutse, Jigawa State announced that the government’s 50 per cent subsidy on input would gulp N45.12bn for wheat cultivation.
Kyari said the ministry aims to support between 150,000 and 250,000 farmers with 50 per cent input subsidy.
With this support, farmers will comfortably cultivate between 200,000 and 250,000 hectares to produce 1,250,000 tonnes of wheat.
Do you have a flair for Citizenship Journalism? Share story(ies) of happenings in your area with The NewsZenith on WhatsApp: 08033668669 or thenewszenith@gmail.com
