The Sokoto State Government has promised to build three dams to support the Fadama and dry season farming under its integrated agriculture project.

Economic Adviser to the state governor, Bashir Achida, said this during an interview with journalists on Friday in Abuja.

He said the government would also purchase 244 additional tractors to boost agricultural activities.

He said this was to further ensure mechanisation and commercialisation of agriculture in the state.

Mr Achida said these were part of the efforts of the state government to boost the livelihood of the people of the state and its economy.

He said the agricultural integrated plan also entailed all agricultural activities, ranging from the rearing of animals and poultry to the construction of rice mills in the three senatorial zones.

He said the programme would involve the cultivation of hundreds of hectares of land, noting that the state would leverage its comparative advantage of having rivers and dams for the farmlands.

He listed some of the crops to be cultivated to include onion, garlic, and millet, among other cash crops, in commercial quantities.

“We are number one in terms of onion and garlic production; we are number one in West Africa. And the current government has a programme to accelerate the production of these crops. Because each day, about 50 to 100 trucks of onion and garlic are transported to countries such as Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and other African countries,” he said.

Mr Achida said, given the agrarian nature of the state, the government was supporting the sector since it came on board.

“The government has purchased seeds, fertilisers, and farming equipment, and now we are working on a comprehensive plan, not just to give the individual; we are working on two critical projects,” he said.

He said the government was also working on programmes to mitigate post-harvest losses.

He stated, “We are also collaborating with the federal ministry of solid minerals development towards having licences for some of the mineral sites to harness the abundant untapped solid minerals resources in the state.”

According to him, the government is working to bring in investors to invest and harness the resources for the good of the state, adding that about five investors have indicated interest on the mineral sites.

He listed the minerals to include limestone, iron ore, and gold, among others.

He said, “We have also identified senatorial zones that have potential to grow economic trees like shea butter. The government is encouraging the planting of economic trees and working with the federal ministry of environment to get the trees to plant for economic prosperity. The government is working with the chamber of commerce on tree planting; the idea is to empower individuals and members of the community for economic prosperity and fight climate change.”

He also said that the governor was putting in place safety measures to protect farmers and other citizens from the occurrence of natural disasters.

“We have this National Agriculture Insurance Cooperation; we are engaging with them to come in, even though we cannot totally stop natural disasters. The government is also providing mitigation measures for floods and natural disasters, such as buffer dams, and has also provided palliatives to the people in the internally displaced persons camps. We are doing a lot and working to ensure that we have a competitive delivery of our agriculture products,” he said. 

(NAN)