532,095 Bauchi farmers to benefit from FG’s GES fertiliser distribution

From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi

No fewer than 532,095 Bauchi state farmers will benefit from the Federal Government’s Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES), subsidised agricultural inputs.

The Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the state, Alhaji Mohammed Yusuf, disclose this to newsmen yesterday, in Bauchi, saying that 532,095 farmers had been penciled to benefit for the GES programme in the state,

Yusuf said that the farmers would share more than 53,209 tonnes of assorted fertiliser and 5,986 tonnes of seeds, adding that each registered farmer would get two bags of fertiliser and a bag of seeds.

According to him, the Federal and state governments together had subsidised the cost of fertiliser by 50 percent at the ration of 25 percent respectively, adding that the government had also subsidised the cost of seeds by 90 percent.

“We have successfully registered more than 700,000 farmers in Bauchi State since the commencement of the GES scheme in 2012. We are targeting at least 532,095 farmers to benefit from the scheme this farming season,’’ Yusuf said.

He explained that the initiative was designed to boost agricultural productivity and enhance food security in the state.

The Director said that about 68 redemption centres had been approved, adding that the centres would be operated by private agro-dealers.

“The agro-dealers have geared up for the programme; as soon as we receive approval we would ask them to commence deployment of the products,’’ he said.

He urged farmers to come out en masse, redeem and make good use of the inputs to ensure bumper harvest.