ABUJA – Farmers in Hadejia, Jigawa, have called on the Federal Government to complete the Hadejia Valley Project to accelerate the production of paddy rice.
A cross section of the farmers made the call on Sunday in Hadejia in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
They contended that completion of projects embarked by River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) across the country would ensure realisation of Federal Government’s policy of self-sufficiency in rice production.
They argued that the removal of bottlenecks confronting the smooth operations of RBDAs would provide opportunity for more Nigerians to embrace agriculture.
The Hadejia Valley Project, which was designed to provide irrigation lands and water supply to communities, had been abandoned for almost 20 years.
Alhaji Aminu Yunusa, a rice farmer in Hadejia, declared that completion of projects embarked by RBDAs would encourage more Nigerians to take to agriculture and boost food production.
He said that out of the estimated 400, 000 registered rice farmers in the state, only 150, 000 were engaged in irrigation farming.
Another farmer in the area, Kamilu Haruna, said the abandonment of Hadejia Valley Project had forced farmers to rely on tube wells and water pumps to water their crops.
He appealed to the government to assist farmers with the necessary infrastructure to boost food production.
“We need land, tractors, milling machines and capital to produce rice, wheat and other perishable food crops,’’ he said.
Haruna declared that if assisted by the government Jigawa farmers had the capacity to produce rice to meet local demand and for export.
He expressed concern that non-completion of Hadejia Valley Project had exposed farming communities around the project site to perennial flooding.
A competent source at Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA) told NAN that the project was abandoned due to paucity of funds.
The source, who sought anonymity, explained that the project was designed to provide 25, 000 hectares of farmlands for irrigation.
“More than 5, 000 hectares of farmlands were developed under Phase I of the project. The land is being utilised and cultivated by farmers,” he said.
The source said the authority recently conducted de-silting and cleared over 50 kilometres of typha grass on river Hadejia to ease the flow of water.
He said the authority had also adopted `effective’ measures to open up additional hectares of farmlands and ensure adequate water supply for domestic use and for irrigation.
Alhaji Lawal Dansarki, Katsina State Area Manager, Sokoto River Basin Development Authority (SRBDA) appealed to the Federal Government to intensify efforts to complete irrigation projects embarked by the authority to boost food production.
Dansarki told NAN in Katsina that when completed, the projects would also improve water supply to people in rural and semi-urban areas of the state.
He said the federal government constructed three dams– Jibia, Zobe and Sabke on SRBDA to boost irrigation farming and provide water for human and animal consumption.
He said that apart from these dams, there were 14 other small earth dams located in different parts of the state. [eap_ad_1] Dansarki said that Zobe irrigation project in Dutsin-ma which was awarded for over 15 years ago was still under construction.
He said that the dam had the capacity to provide more than one million cubic litres of water for irrigation and meeting the water needs of the residents of Dutsin-ma, Safana, Kankia, Danmusa and Kurfi council areas.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 200 farmers in Bauchi South Senatorial District would benefit from irrigation facilities on the Waya Dam Project.
The project is being undertaken by Upper Benue River Basin and Rural Development Authority (UBRBRDA).
The Project Manager, Mr Mustapha Garkuwa, told NAN in Bauchi that apart from empowering rural communities through provision of facilities for irrigation farming, the dam also generate electricity and provide potable water.
He said that some fishermen in the area had also been granted permission to use the dam for fishing. (NAN)
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