Dry season farming: Expect 8000 metric tons of wheat in Bauchi

From Ahmed Kaigama Bauchi

The Managing Director of Madaki Agro Services, a private anchor borrower in agricultural development activities, Mr. Akubo Adegbe has disclosed that not less than 8,000 metric tons of yield wheat is being expected from Bauchi state for usage by Nigerian milling companies in this year’s dry season farming.
He dropped this hint weekend at this season’s wheat farming launch held at Zindi village of Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi state.
Mr. Akubo Adegbe said that Madaki Agro Services is putting a pilot scheme of 1, 965 hectares of wheat land under cultivation in the three Local Government Areas of Misau,Shira,and Ganjuwa,involving 1, 116 farmers with an expected minimum yields of four metric tons per hectare , thus giving 8, 000 tons of wheat at the end of the season.
He explained that Madaki Agro Services evolution in wheat production is geared to augment Nigeria’s shortfall of the produce which is put at four million tons, as well as to reduce the country’s wheat import dependency.
The managing director gave the biggest challenge to his company’s massive wheat production as water, saying without dams the only places Madaki Agro Services can use are the Fadama lands to drill wash boreholes for crop production.
“So everywhere in Bauchi state where we have plat plains, we can drill wash boreholes to plant wheat, but tis also depend on the communities willing and ability to work with us”, Adegbe said.
According to him, Madaki Agro Services is working with its partners, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and NIRSAL as its subsidiary and Stanbic IBTC Bank through which funds were disbursed, adding “Lands have been prepared, boreholes dug and seeds provided by Wheat farmers Association of Nigeria, as farmers commence crop planting from December 1 – 10 this season”.
Launching the scheme, the Emir of Misau, Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman expressed gratitude for the dry season wheat farming in Misau, and assured that the farmers will cooperate towards the success of the programme.
The emir, who was represented by the Sarkin Sudan of Misau, Alhaji Bala Othman Suleiman, called on the people of the emirate to give all necessary support to the scheme towards boosting food and cash crops production in the area.