Niger distributes 100 motorcycles to extension workers

Niger state government through the agricultural and mechanization development authority yesterday distributed 100 motorcycles to extension and corporative staff across the state under the Central Bank’s Anchor Borrowers Programme.

Speaking at the flagging off of the first phase of the initiative Governor Abubakar Sani Bello said extension workers were critical to successful implementation of government’s agricultural policies.

He pledged the state government’s commitment to meeting its set target of 53,109 metric tons of rice and 18,348 metric tons of soya beans this year.

The commissioner of agriculture and rural development, Malam Kabiru Abbas Musa said the state government planned to rehabilitate the 17 irrigation schemes to boost dry season farming.

Chairman of the Programme Monitoring Team, Alhaji Mohammed Ahmed Kotangora said commodities such as rice, cotton and soya beans were approved for the state under CBN-ABP initiative targeting 15, 000 farmers.