By Hauwa Muhammad Gold
Sokoto – Alhaji Ummaru Na-Gwari, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Agriculture, says the Fadama III project in the state will receive 125 different kinds of machines for processing rice, sorghum and tomato.
The commissioner, who made this known to newsmen in Sokoto on Friday, said that this was the main focus of designed plans to promote agricultural enterprises development, particularly among the youth.
Na-Gwari said that the machines, worth N500 million, would be provided by the National Fadama III Office once the plans were reviewed and approved.
He said that the one of the objectives of the Fadama III project was to increase the income of poor Fadama resources’ users on a sustainable basis.
Na-Gwari said that the objectives also aimed at reducing rural poverty and increasing food security via direct delivery of resources to the users.
He said that the empowerment would enable the Fadama users to manage their livelihoods well via the Community Driven Development (CDD) approach and the preparation of bankable agricultural business plans.
He said that the state government had approved the payment of about N112.7 million as its counterpart funds for the project in the state.
“This will in no measure go a long way in supporting efforts to realise the development objectives of the project in the state,’’ Na-Gwari said.