The National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) has distributed 130 units of 13-horse power tillers to selected farmers in Kebbi state to boost agricultural production and food Security.
Distributing the tillers in Birnin Kebbi, the Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq-Yelwa, said the intervention aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Sadiq-Yelwa, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Managing Director on Technical Matters, Prof. Yasir Abubakar, said the initiative was aimed at promoting agricultural mechanisation, reducing drudgery and improving productivity among farmers in benefiting communities.
He explained that the distribution formed part of the commission’s Agricultural Empowerment Programme under which 850 power tillers were procured for distribution across the 10 member states of the commission.
According to him, Kebbi received an allocation of 130 units to support farmers and strengthen food production in hydroelectric power producing communities.
Sadiq-Yelwa added that, the machines were distributed free of charge and urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of them., stressing that the commission would closely monitor their utilisation to ensure the objectives of the programme were achieved.
The Managing Director further disclosed that, the commission was developing additional agricultural support programmes, including extension services, provision of hand-driven planters and knapsack sprayers to further improve farming systems and agricultural value chains.
Earlier, the sate Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Shehu Mu’azu, said the initiative was conceived after consultations among power producing states on measures to enhance farmers’ productivity.
Mu’azu said officials of the participating states had visited Thailand where they observed the effectiveness of power tillers in boosting agricultural output.
COV/SANI DUTSINMA
