News by Abdullahi Jalaludeen
Federal Government has reiterated its determination to empowering farmers with modern techniques of farming.
Minister of Water Resources, Engineer Suleiman Adamu stated this at a stakeholders consultative meeting On Treasury Single Account (TSA) Operations for water User Association of Irrigation Schemes Under Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria(Trimming Project) held in Kano.
The Minister who was represented by a Director in the Ministry, Mr Emmanuel Awe said the stakeholders meeting was aimed at reducing Government expenses in farming process by making farmers take full responsibility of farming operations.
He said the empowerment would create more job opportunities in the agricultural sector as well as boost food production in the country.
“Before now everything is being funded by Government funding , Government would provide the water, cultivate ,while farmers would only plants their products ,harvest and wait again for Government to put in resources”
“This time around farmers are being empowered so that they own the farm fully,and ensure that every Resources belongs to the farmers , and the farmer would be able to expand their farms”
In a remark, National Project Coordinator of the Trimming Project Engineer Peter Yakubu Manjuk said the project was the first Attempt for transforming public Irrigation Schemes in Nigeria, aimed at enhancing food production.
He said the World Bank was Supporting Nigeria in transferring the ownership And the management of farming to the farmers geared towards sustainability.
” We have huge potentials in Nigeria for irrigated Agriculture ,but we have only tapped a little out if it,if we can expand it we can Guarantee Employment generarion for our teeming youths and food sufficiency and Sustainability”
Earlier, the Managing Director of Hadejia Jam’are River Basin Development Authority Alhaji Ma’amun Da’u Aliyu said the trimming project is taking place in three river basins in Nigeria which include Hadejia Jam’are,Upper Benue and Sokoto Rima basic Authorities.
He added that about sixteen thousand hectares would be rehabilitated in Kano State and six thousand hectares in Jigawa state.