The Umar Namadi administration in Jigawa State said it invested over N5 billion in farmer support services to encourage productivity and enhance food security.

Mr Namadi said this on Wednesday in Dutse in an address to mark the one-year anniversary of his administration.

He said the government injected N5 billion to the Jigawa State Agricultural Supply Company to enable it to effectively perform its primary responsibility in ensuring timely farmer access to the inputs.

“Sustained agricultural transformation is topmost in our commitment to transform the socioeconomic landscape of our dear state. The focus is to sustain and improve upon the existing policies and programmes to accelerate the contributions of the sector to the growth of the state’s economy and provision of sustainable means of livelihoods for the people,” he said.

Mr Namadi said the government had developed a state policy on agriculture to align with agricultural interventions for the Greater Jigawa Project.

According to him, the policy seeks to develop and implement inclusive, robust, and investment-focused agricultural programmes that align with the vision for sustainable agri-business based economic growth.

He said, “Our 12-point agenda which was integrated into the state development plan places high premium on food and nutrition, security, economic diversification, job creation, and private sector development. Accordingly, our agricultural investment programme will be derived from the new policy linked to these objectives.’’

He added that it would revolutionise and transform agriculture as the primary platform for sustainable social and economic development.

Reiterating commitment to a sustainable rice and wheat cultivation programme, Mr Namadi said the administration had implemented initiatives and forged alliances to facilitate effective implementation of the policy.

He said the state government had distributed 9,200 tonnes of fertilisers, improved seeds and chemicals to wheat and rice farmers for dry season activities.

The government, he said, procured 60 tractors,10 combine harvesters and equipped 60 rice mills with threshers and other machines, to encourage agricultural mechanisation, processing and build farmer entrepreneurial skills.

Mr Namadi, however, decried spate of diversion of the inputs and described the perpetrators as enemies of the state.

He added, “We have noticed in the last wheat programme jointly supported by the federal and state governments, certain vested interests have still tried to prevent the subsidies provided by the government from reaching the real farmers. We will do whatever is necessary to appropriately deal with such vested interests whom we will henceforth consider as enemies of progress and enemies of the masses.’’

(NAN)