The Kaduna State government has commenced the distribution of free agricultural implements and inputs to cooperatives in the state to enhance all-year-round farming.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Murtala Dabo, said this was the first time the government had massively distributed free farm implements throughout the state’s history.

He said each cooperative, comprising 10 members, was given a package that consisted of an 18 horse-power Tiller and an 18 horse-power three-inch solar-powered irrigation pumping machine.

Others were 13 horse-power two-inch solar-powered water irrigation machines and gasoline-powered water irrigation pumps.

According to him, each cooperative was also given 30 bags of Urea and NPK fertilisers, which translates to three bags per member, one motorised knapsack sprayer, one carton of herbicide and another carton of pesticide.

Governor Uba Sani launched the ‘Dry Season Agricultural Empowerment Programme’ at an elaborate ceremony at the Murtala  Square on February 16.

The distribution of the farming implements commenced on Saturday as Mr Dabo gave out the items to the benefitting cooperatives at the premises of the ministry’s central warehouse at  Dankade village.

Mr Dabo disclosed that the state government’s invaluable gesture was to ameliorate farmers’ pains to irrigate their farmlands, especially due to the rise in petrol prices.

“This massive support that is coming from the governor is going to help greatly in bringing down the cost of production, which should ultimately bring down prices,’’ he said.

The commissioner disclosed that the Sani-led administration had also procured a combined harvester to help the farmers reduce their production costs.

According to him, the benefitting cooperatives comprise real farmers who were chosen irrespective of their political affiliations or ethno-religious identities.

Speaking to journalists, Garba Zaria, the chairman of Dry Season Farmers Cooperative Society, Zaria, said, ‘’Since Kaduna State was created, there has never been this kind of government intervention.

“We have been given all that is required to enable dry season farming free.’’

The chairman, who advised the beneficiaries to put the implements to good use, further warned that they should not sell the items.

’(NAN)