Yobe commissioner appeals as locusts ravage farms in neighboring countries

From Uche Uche, Dmataturu

Yobe state commissioner for agriculcutre, Dr. Mairo Ahmed Amshi has appealed to Yobe state government to put in place a measure to intervene in preventing the invasion of farm lands in the state by locusts which is already treating food security in neigfhbouring countrie.
She made the appeal yesterday on the occasion of official launching of fertilizer and tractor allocation and flagg-off of seed multiplication farm under the agricultural youth empowerment program, 2020 cropping season which took place at the 27 August stadium in Damaturu the state capital.
“May I at this juncture inform you that the Food and Agricultural Organzation (FAO) has waned that locust has invaded Central Africa destroying all farm plantations and are moving toward Chad and Cameroon, most likely may reach Borno and Yobe. We are therefore appealing to the government to kindly procure chemicals in anticipation of this menace so that it may not take us unawares,” she stated.
While commending the state governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni for making agriculture a priority sector of his administration, he also thanked him or the support he gave the ministry to conduct a geo-enabling initiatives for monitoring and supervision that captured a total of 33,450,000 small-scale farmers and 2,960 large scale farmers thus providing a comprehensive farmers’ data bank and the basis for identifying farmers for allocation of inputs across the state.
Among the items procured includes 7,500 metric tons of fertilizers, 103 brand new set of MF 375 tractors with implements such as harrow, plough, ridgers and trailer.