Adamawa State Gov’t Empowers Smallholder Farmers.
By Yalson Harrison
About three hundred smallholder farmers in Adamawa state have been trained and empowered with solar powered irrigation farming tools.
This was achieved through climate smart agriculture, championed by Feed the Future Nigeria, Rural Resilience Activity and partners.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri during the flag-off ceremony and distribution of solar powered irrigation equipment to trained beneficiaries in the Northeast Nigeria, warned that henceforth, government will not condone farmer-herder conflict for food security and sufficiency.
Feed the future is the United states government global hunger and food security initiative implemented in four northeastern states of Nigeria which are Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe States.
The flag off and distribution of the solar powered irrigation equipment titled: “Catalyzing smallholder farmers productivity through climate smart agriculture”, is aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change and make farmers more resilience.
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri during the flag off ceremony lauded feed the future rural resilience activity and partners for their positive impact in the benefitting states, saying the initiative is complementary and in tandem with agricultural policies of the state government.
Represented by his deputy professor Kaletapwa Farauta, governor Fintiri reiterated his administration’s commitment to continue to explore all avenues to encourage peace among farmers and herders, as well as to boost their contributions to the economy of the state and Nigeria at large.
According to him, the program is timely in view of the security and environmental challenges, climate change among others that have devastated a lot, especially in the northeastern states, stressed that the initiative will boost productivity.
The country director international fertilizer development center IFDC Yusuf Dramani and the deputy Chief of party, Nurein Abdulfattah, in their separate remarks emphasised on the importance of advancing modern technology agriculture among farmers, hence the distribution of irrigation pumps, solar panel among others to boost agricultural activities.
The Adamawa state commissioner for agricultureg, professor David Finchiwa Jatau, acknowledged the support of government to the program, advising beneficiaries to utilize the opportunity for food security and sufficiency.
The distribution covers over one thousand beneficiaries across the four benefitting states of Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe.
