Dry season farming in Plateau State has been boosted with the flagging-off of distribution of 120,000 fertilisers to 40,000 farmers by the Plateau State government.
The state’s deputy governor, Josephine Piyo, while handing over the 120,000 fertilisers to state coordinators of FADAMA, PADP and CARES for onward distribution, noted that the fertilisers was obtained as grant from Nigeria Government Covid-19 Action Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme.
While handing over the fertilisers to the coordinators, the deputy governor said, “With the handing over of 120,000 from the Nigeria Government Covid-19 Action Economic Stimulus(NG-CARES) programme to our farmers, we have simply sent hunger out of the state.
“In addition to the fertilizer distribution, other program of NG+CARES in the state include the ongoing construction of 25 access roads from farms to markets across the 17 local government areas of the state, renovation of educational and health facilities, water projects, social transfers to the poorest of the poor, and grants to nano, micro, small and medium enterprises in the state.
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“As we hand over these 120,000 bags of fertilizers, we recognize that the inputs represent more than just a physical resource. They symbolize hope, progress, and the future prosperity of our farmers and their families. The impact of this support will be far-reaching, enhancing crop yields, improving soil fertility, and increasing the income of our hardworking farmers.”
State coordinator of NG-CARES, Dr Haggai Gutap, who received the fertilizers on behalf of the farmers, said the grant is targeted at reducing the negative impact of Covid-19 as regard food security. “I’m sure you know Covid-19 brought so much hunger and poverty, it crumbled small and medium scale businesses.
“There is no doubt that the agric sector creates small and medium scale businesses, and so this program is focusing on farming. And so, the farming inputs we are distributing to farmers will not only better the lives of the farmers but will also have multiplying effect on the economy of the country,” he said.