The Katsina government has announced plans to establish a farmers’ radio station, aimed at addressing management aspects of the state’s agriculture production.

The agriculture commissioner, Ahmed Bakori, announced this in Katsina on Friday, at a press briefing in preparation for the visit of the Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

He said the state government was making arrangements to receive Mr Shettima on Monday, where he is expected to inaugurate projects executed by Governor Dikko Radda.

One of the projects to be inaugurated by the vice-president is the newly established e-centre, where farmers can get quick responses.

Mr Bakori explained that the government was planning to have a farmer radio station, so that they can communicate with all the farmers in the state freely.

He said that the radio station would offer on-demand support and advice, covering topics from production management to marketing and pest control.

According to him, this initiative is part of a holistic strategy to improve agriculture in Katsina, which also includes providing access to modern equipment and training programmes.

The radio station,  he said, was designed to support the state’s large agricultural base, particularly smallholder farmers who have a high degree of radio listenership.

Mr Bakori said, “With this development, the farmers would have three sources of information, which include the normal extension workers, and the new Katsina Sustainable Platform for Agriculture.”

The farmers would have a radio station where they would be able to communicate and ask questions, so that an expert would be able to respond to them.

“With that, we believe that the management aspect of our agriculture production will be seriously addressed,” the commissioner said.

According to him, if the management aspect is addressed, the farmers are likely to make a profit, and once they start making a profit, agriculture will start changing to the needed level.

 (NAN)