Bauchi Govt Pledges to Sustain Agricultural Policies Initiatives

By Rabi’u Ishaq Muhammad:

Bauchi State Government has vowed to sustain its agricultural policy initiatives for self sustenance, self reliance and economic development.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture Dr. Ilyasu Aliyu Gital disclosed this during a BRC live phone in programme tagged ” the Score Card, Organized by the Bauchi State Ministry for information and communication in collaboration with the state ministry for budget and Multilateral Coordination.

The Commissioner said to achieve the set goasl especially in the area of management of personnel and manpower development, Bauchi State Government has allocated 1000 slots to the agriculture ministry out of the 10,000 ongoing recruitment exercise in the state.

Dr. Ilyasu Gital Bauchi State Government under the ministry for Agriculture has recorded tremendous achievements including, the purchase of 80 tractors, training of 1000 unemployed younth on skills acquisition and distribution of starter pack, as well as 54,000 Hectors of land at Lame-Burra Game Reserve to Tiamin Rice Mill to bossting of rice production.

Others he said, is the rising and distribution of 25,000 seedlings of different tree crops to communities for orchard establishments, shelter belts and woodlots to impact income generation, nutrition and control desertification.

Dr. Aliyu Gital revealed that, Bauchi State Government has approved the purchase of 23,809 metric tons of liquid fertilizer to the tune of ninety about 1 billion naira to compliment the conventional in organic fertilizer distribution to farmers at 50% subsidy.

He used the medium to apologize to farmers in the state to bear with the ministry on the delay in the production and effective distribution of fertilizer across the state, saying the state government will restratigize and intensify efforts to address the hitchs in the future.

According to the commissioner, Bauchi State Government and OCP Africa Morocco, have signed a 3 years soil mapping test project for self sufficiency in food production across the state.

Dr. Aliyu Gital
announced plans by the Bauchi State Government to construct additional dams and boreholes to support dry-season farming and enhance food security.

The Commissioner said these efforts are part of a broader strategy to achieve food security by enabling year-round agricultural production through irrigation, particularly to combat the ongoing food crisis and reduce reliance on seasonal rain-fed farming.

He invited private investors and financial institutions to collaborate with the state government in expanding agricultural opportunities and support farmers to ensure a prosperous and food-secure Bauchi State.

Dr. Ilyasu Aliyu Gital therefore reaffirmed state’s government commitment to procure and deliver farm inputs at affordable prices for sustainable agricultural production.