By Stephen Ojo
In a bid to support farmers and promote agricultural activities as well boost foood production, the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project in Niger State has commenced the process for the procurement of farm machineries to assist farmers in reclaiming degraded farm lands.
The Niger state Project Cordinator of ACReSAL, Malam Raji Shehu Adam stated this Tuesday at the opening of bid for the procurement of heavy duty machineries in Minna, the Niger state capital.
He said, “Landscape restoration as contained in the project development objective could come in different forms including agricultural, environmental and Water conservation activities.”
He further explained that this is why the state government decided to procure 10 tractors and one amphibious excavator to support farming communities in the state
The Tractors , according to him, would be be distributed to the three senatorial zones of the state while promising to expand the gesture to all the 25 local governments of the state next year.
In his remarks, the Comissioner of Enviroment and Climate Change, Hon. Yakubu Mohammed Kolo explained that the decision to procure the heavy duty equipments was informed by the desire to enhance machanized agriculture in the state in line with the vision of the state Governor, Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago.
He said, “these tractors will afford farmers the opportunity to increase crop production. The aim of intensifying effort towards reclaiming degraded lands is to make more land available for agricultural and other productive activities”.
According to him, the procurement of theTractors and a Swamp buggy will add value to the potentials of rice farmers farmers in the state, adding that, “in addition, more farmers would have access to Tractors and Swamp buggy to boost Rice cultivation among other farm produce”.