Yobe State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural resources, Mairo Amshi, said the ministry spent over N2.9 billion on procuring fertilisers from 2019 to date.

At a ministerial briefing in Damaturu, Ms Amshi said N1.5 billion of the funds was spent on procuring 3,000 tonnes of NPK 20:10:10 fertiliser in 2021.

Ms Amshi said the distribution and sales of the fertiliser were ongoing through an open market at a subsidised rate of N13,000 per bag.

The commissioner also said N1.4 billion was spent on purchasing 7,500 tonnes of NPK 15:15:15 in 2020.

She added that the commodity was sold to the farmers at N5,000 per bag, representing a 40 per cent subsidy.

According to her, in 2019, the state government spent N882 million on procuring 40 tractors. She said they were given as loans to large-scale farmers at N11 million each, payable within four years.

Ms Amshi said the state, in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), had vaccinated over 1.2 million cattle, sheep, goats and dogs within the period under review.

The commissioner said the state’s Livestock Development Programme was supported by 135 veterinary surgeons, 47 animal scientists, five equipped veterinary clinics and 17 Area Veterinary/ Livestock offices across the state.

She said that the state, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), set up livestock development centres at Jakusko/Nasari, Badegana and Gurjaje grazing reserves.

Ms Amshi said the facilities already provided at the centres included boreholes, earth dams, veterinary clinic, feedlot, fish ponds, access roads, electricity, artificial insemination and milk collection units, among others.

Similarly, the commissioner said the state established Livestock Investigation and Breeding Centres (LIBC) in Nguru to enhance livestock production.

To boost irrigation farming, she said over 2,000 hectares of land had so far been acquired for the 2022 LAVA irrigation scheme in some parts of the state.

Ms Amshi said the state, in collaboration with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, had established National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) North-East Outreach Station in Damaturu.

The commissioner added that the state secured approval to participate in the federal government’s Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Programme ( L-Pres Programme). 

(NAN)