Governor Nasir El-Rufai has assured farmers in Kaduna state that the government would not allow bandits to disrupt farming activities anywhere in the state as all security measures have been put in place to wipe them out.
The governor who gave the assurance during the flag off of seeds distribution by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Kaduna, vowed that his administration is ‘’going to continue to make our farms safe for our people.’’
El-Rufai promised that government will not negotiate with bandits but ‘’we are going to wipe them out by the grace of God, through the combined operations of the Nigerian Air Force, Army and Police.’’
The governor particularly assured the people of Igabi, Giwa, Birnin Gwari, Kajuru and Chuku local government areas that the government would ensure their protection and restoration of normalcy.
The flag off of the seeds distribution exercise was led by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono.
El-Rufai commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s agricultural policy, noting that it had succeeded in placing Nigeria on the path of self-sufficiency in agricultural produce such as rice, maize and many others.
The governor who said that that ‘’I don’t know where Nigeria would have been amidst this coronavirus pandemic if we still needed to import food from abroad,’’ thanked the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the National Assembly for providing the needed support to make the agricultural policy a reality.
El-Rufai assured the Federal Government delegation of Kaduna state government’s willingness to cooperate with it on any agricultural programme, so that farmers in the state can derive maximum benefits from it.
According to him, Kaduna state produces 22 per cent of Nigeria’s maize and it is also a leading producer of soya beans, tomatoes and sorghum among other agricultural produce.
The governor described agricultural mechanization as very essential to ensuring food security.
“Even with the improved seedlings, this government is giving greater access to fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide. We need to multiply our production and productivity through investment in mechanization and extension workers,’’ he emphasized.
El-Rufai said that Kaduna state already has a tractor assembly plant, adding that ‘’with private sector partners, we are raising the level of tractorization in the state so that every farmer will have access to a tractor when he needs it.”
He also called for the recapitalization of the Bank of Agriculture, in order to boost its capacity to lend to farmers with ease.
