Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, has announced what he called “uptakers initiative’’, through which thousands of farmers in the state will be supported to boost their crops’ production.
Speaking in Dikwa, while on an official visit, the governor said that the initiative would encourage farmers to go back to their farmlands.
This, he said, was to encourage farmers to produce more and ensure food security in the state.
“The state government has made arrangements ahead of this rainy season. Farmers shall be provided with agricultural inputs. We have an arrangement we call “uptakers”, under which all verified farmers in the resettled communities shall be supported,” Zulum said.
According to the governor, a committee headed by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Bukar Talba, has been constituted to achieve the objectives and to ensure farming activities are carried out across the state.
“You have seen that the agricultural potentials of Borno State is unimaginary, very vast, fertile land. From Mafa up to Kala-Balge, that’s about 200km. What we intend to do is to utilise this land that was left in the last one decade.
“This administration has constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of the Commissioner of Agriculture, to cultivate thousands of hectares of land this year. This is to make the state food sufficient. The major crops we intend to plant are rice, sesame, cowpea and sorghum. To meet up to the demands of food supplies in the state,” Zulum said.
The governor also assessed the destruction of Government Teachers College, Dikwa, and directed the Ministry of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement to immediately send a technical team to determine the extent of the damage.
Meanwhile, Zulum has also inspected a 500-unit housing estate built to resettle communities displaced by the Boko Haram insurgents in Ajiri, a community in Mafa Local Government Area.
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