Northern Regional Farmers Association members at farm
Executives of the Northern Regional Farmers Association are delighted about government’s plan to subsidize fertilizers and seeds as part of the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ policy.
The Northern Region is currently the highest beneficiary under the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ policy of the government.
Inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, insecticides to fight the fall army worms have all been provided to farmers in the region.
According to them, they have increased the utilization of fertilizers by three folds.
They expressed their profound gratitude to the President and his government for their foresight and interest in the development of agriculture in the country.
Government has equipped farmers, especially those in the Northern part of the country, to produce four main crops namely rice, soya bean, maize and sorghum in the country.
Government has equally made provisions for the storage of the proceeds.
The chairman for the Northern Regional Farmers Association, Mohammed Adam Nashiru, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, expressed optimistic the policy would reduce poverty and create jobs, improve food and income security, reduce maternal mortality and above all reduce rural-urban migration.
He, however, called on government to live up to expectations by revamping the rice, cotton and soya processing factories, as well as shea industry, among others.
The chairman called for collective efforts by all African countries in the fight against the fall army worms.
Meanwhile, efforts are being made by the government to increase Agricultural Mechanization Centers (AMSEC) throughout the country.
This would enable small-scale farmers, who cannot buy agricultural equipment, to hire them at all designated points in their various districts.
From Eric Kombat, Tamale