500 farmlands abandoned in Katsina over insecurity

From Lawal Sa’idu Funtua, Katsina

Special adviser to Katsina state Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Abba Y. Abdullahi has disclosed that no fewer than 500 farms were abandoned by farmers in the state due to the menace of banditry.
Abdullahi who made the disclosure while addressing newsmen on the activities of his ministry weekend in Katsina, added that this represent 30 percent shortfall in the expected yield for the 2020 wet farming season.
He however assured that the government has developed new strategy to improve the dry season farming to cover the 30 percent shortfall experienced in the wet season farming.
The special adviser who attributed the state government failure to distribute fertilizer for the last wet season farming to the Covid-19 pandemic promised that the fartilizer will be distributed for the dry season farming
He noted that due to the state government efforts in improving irrigation farming in the state it’s yield according to him has tripple.
Abdullahi disclosed that dams across the state were rehabilitated to serve for all year round irrigation activities, adding that some of the rehabilited dams include, Daberam,Sonkaya, Kwanar Are, Makera, ‘Yar Tsaku, Jibia, Bakori and Tafoki dams Amon others.
The special adviser stated that in the government efforts to reinvigorate the capacities of extension agents as well as increasing their numbers, it entered into collaboration with USAID, Winrock International to trained 60 extension agents in participatory extension methodology.
On the anchor borrower program, Abdullahi disclosed that the total sum of N12billion has been invested on 170,000 rice farmers that benefitted and were according to him able to produce at least 250,000 metric tons of rice.