Authorities in Borno State on Monday shared inputs to resettled farmers in Damasak, Mobbar Local Government Area in the fringes of Lake Chad.
The farmers who were resettled last year have lived in different host communities after being displaced by insurgents.
Government spokesman, Isa Gusau said in a statement that Governor Babagana Zulum, had during a visit to the town directed the profiling of 3,000 families to be provided with packages of inputs.
The farm inputs are to include improved seeds, fertilizer, water pumps and chemicals to safely return to farms that will be secured by the military.
The families will be benefitting in a second phase of inputs’ distribution by the government for rain-fed and irrigation farming.
Each of the 3,000 families will be made up of at least six persons, implying some 18,000 persons benefitting in farm families.
“In January 2021, Zulum supervised the distribution of seeds, fertilizer, chemicals, water pumps and N5,000 to each of 1,200 irrigation farmers many of whom are harvesting crops such as onions, rice and pepper,” the statement said.
“This year, we were here to support some of our farmers in the first phase. In this second phase, we will profile 3,000 families from those that did not benefit and we shall support them for both irrigation and rain fed farming. The 3,000 households to benefit will translate to about 20,000 or less persons benefitting from the scheme.”
Damasak, had farming activities suspended for six years following insurgents’ occupation in 2014; a situation that threatened food security in the area.
The governor was accompanied to Damasak by the member representing Mobbar LGA at the Borno State House of Assembly, Usman Lawan Moruma, and the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Engineer Bukar Talba.
