GOMBE – Farmers in Gombe have expressed optimism for a successful 2014 farming season due to the early onset of the rains.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Wednesday, they expressed the belief that the favourable weather was an indication that the season would bring a lot of blessings.
Alhaji Mohammed Bala said: “Like our forefathers told us that if there is a heavy harmattan and too much heat in the year, we are going to be blessed with a good farming season and we have observed it this year.”
Bala said he had been farming for over 20 years, adding that every year he realised between 300 bags and 500 bags of whatever crop he planted.
He advised the Gombe State Government to ensure early fertiliser supply to farmers at subsidised rates.
Bala said this would give farmers more confidence that a bumper harvest was in the offing in the season.
Another farmer, Malam Adamu Baba said Gombe would be among the states that would produce large quantities of food in 2014 for the benefit of the state, Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
The farmer urged the state government to also fulfil its promise to give soft loans to farmers into ensure a favourable result.
He also advised the government to accept farm produce as repayment for loans given to farmers.
Baba said this would boost food security in the state as well as help farmers not to sell the produce at give-away prices.
In his remarks, Malam Samaila Kagarawal noted that at present said that at present, a lot of farmers had started cultivating their farmlands, adding that the challenges ahead of them were fertiliser and other farm inputs.
Kagarawal appealed to the government to commence the distribution of fertiliser early enough so as to reach farmers at the grassroots on time.
He commended the state government for the provision of tractors for land preparation. (NAN)
