By Habibu Harisu
Malumfashi – Fadama III Additional Financing Project has distributed sprayers, water pumping machines and other farm inputs to tomato farmers in five communities in Katsina state.
Distributing the farm inputs on Wednesday in Danjanku village, a suburb of Malumfashi, the state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, said the state paid its N35 million counterpart fund under the programme.
Yakubu, represented by Alhaji Bello Bello, the state Fadama Groups’ Coordinator, said the beneficiaries were five clusters Fadama user groups that have fulfilled the stipulated requirements.
“The support is under tomato farming and the supported groups were Maska, Ruwansanyi, Danjanku, Malumfashi and Kankara communities. I hope that more communities will benefit soon.
“No fewer than 250 tomato farmers have so far benefited with water pumping machines and other farming inputs as support from Fadama III additional financing project.
“Each of the five groups had 50 persons and items distributed included, 146 pieces water pumping machines, 146 pieces sprayers, 4,000 pieces of PVCs, 10 cartons of certified seeds and 1,500 bags of fertiliser besides drilling of 146 tube wells at various locations.
“The beneficiaries made various contributions as required under the support scheme. Three water pumping machines, three sprayers and three tubes well are expected to be used by at least 10 farmers.
“Nigeria is ranked 15th among tomato farming countries in the world but yet, the country is among the highest importer of tomato paste.
“This trend needs to be reversed through increased engagement in tomato farming activities,’’ he said.
He commended the efforts of Gov. Aminu Masari at ensuring that Katsina participated in extended Fadama III activities, called Fadama plus.
He urged the people to utilise the opportunity by registering and fulfilling the required conditions to access the support.
Yakubu cautioned the beneficiaries against re-selling the farming inputs and machines in the open markets and ensure that they contacted specialists deployed to educate them on best farming practices.
He noted that the items supplied would facilitates increased yield to more than double of the previous harvest quantities and urged them to apply the techniques and other procedures.
Yakubu noted that similar ceremony was conducted at Maska village in Funtua Local Government Area, saying that farmers were connected with agro-allied processing company.
He added that the company would be buying their harvested tomato on appreciable prices to reduce the burden of market challenges faced by farmers.
In his remarks, the leader of tomato farmer groups, Malam Kabir Kado, commended the state government on its commitment to the development of agriculture in the state and enjoined farmers to live up to expectation.
Kado described farming as major occupation of Nigerians and commended the Federal and State Governments on efforts toward rejuvenating agricultural programmes and assured judicious use of the items.