An Agricultural Success Story
- By Super Admin
- Published 08/9/2010
- Speeches
- Unrated
Being Text of a Speech by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji (Dr.) Aliyu Akwe Doma, OON (Madauchin Doma), on the Occasion of the Launching of the 2nd Edition of Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme: Andaha, Akwanga Local Government Area, Tuesday, 3rd August, 2010.
PROTOCOL:
It is with a sense of great satisfaction and fulfilment that I welcome you all to this momentous occasion of the launching of the Second Edition of our Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme.
Let me specially welcome the Chairman of this occasion, my brother and colleague, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, who is here with a distinguished entourage.
Your Excellency, the Government and people of Nasarawa State cannot thank you enough for this demonstration of brotherhood, support and solidarity which has been the hallmark of the relationship between the peoples of Kaduna and Nasarawa States.
In the same vein, I welcome our Special Guest of Honour, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Professor Sheikh Ahmad Abdallah, OON, the Garkuwan Raba-Nupe.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, the presence of the Honourable Minister at this event no doubt underscores the unanimity of purpose between the Federal and Nasarawa State Governments on accelerated agricultural development for sustainable food sufficiency and food security in the country.
Let me also warmly welcome the Guest Speaker, Prof. Daniel Verishima Uza, the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, who is our distinguished neighbour and ally in agricultural enterprise.
I welcome our Development Partners, Stakeholders, Special Guests and, indeed, our dear farmers, for whom this event has been packaged. We appreciate your partnership in our concerted efforts to turn around the fortunes of agricultural industry in Nasarawa State.
Your Excellencies, Your Royal Highnesses, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, you would recall that at the flag off of the maiden edition of the Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme in July 2009, I dwelt extensively on the main objective of the Scheme, which is, to engender co-ordinated and accelerated growth in the agricultural sector, as a critical plank for the overall integrated development of the State.
The Badakoshi Scheme is conceived to be the flagship of our agricultural policy with the following core objectives:
1) restoration of interest in agriculture as a means of livelihood and wealth creation;
2) ensuring that farmers in the State get economic value for their produce through good and appropriate pricing;
3) ensuring value addition to agricultural produce in the State through enhanced storage, processing and marketing;
4) creation of employment opportunities and wealth for our people;
5) maximising the use of our areas of comparative advantage in the agricultural industry;
6) exposing our farmers to modern trends, practices and technologies in the agricultural enterprise; and,
7) accelerated agricultural production for food sufficiency and food security.
Towards realising the objectives of the Scheme, the following package of incentives were provided to our farmers during the 2009 farming season:
1) Agricultural loans to various categories of the farming population totalling Five Hundred Million Naira;
2) Allocation of 150 tractors to farmers under the tractor loan component of the scheme;
3) Three Hundred Thousand bags of assorted fertilisers were provided to our farmers at subsidised cost of N1,800.00 per bag;
4) Agro-chemicals, including herbicides and pesticides were provided to farmers at highly subsidised cost; and,
5) Agro-service centres were made available to facilitate proper maintenance of tractors and farm implements by our farmers.
As a policy back-up for the successful implementation of the Scheme, all public officers, institutions, including traditional rulers in the State, were encouraged to establish personal and official farms of between 1-5 hectares each.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to point out that the preliminary scorecard of the scheme is most encouraging. It indicates that we are on course. Worthy of note is the fact that we have:
1) revived and generated phenomenal interest in agriculture among our people;
2) recorded significant increase at all levels of food production by our farmers;
3) achieved a breakthrough in direct export of agricultural produce from the State to the outside world;
4) stimulated active participation of youth and women groups in agriculture;
5) recorded significant involvement of public officers in agricultural enterprise; and,
6) strengthened partnership with the Federal Government, development partners and other relevant agencies in the industry.
Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, it is against the background of this success story, that we are determined to keep the momentum. Let the message, therefore, go forth from here that, the Government and people of Nasarawa State have through this scheme, put together a movement for a Green Revolution in the State.
My dear people of Nasarawa State, the second edition of the Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme in 2010, for which we are all gathered here today, will feature the following:
1) further disbursement of agricultural loans to farmers totalling N500 million;
2) further allocation of 100 tractors under the Tractor Loan component of the Scheme;
3) allocation of Agricultural Processing Machineries to deserving agro-processors;
4) disbursement of Fadama III agricultural grants and allocation of vehicles and motorcycles to beneficiaries;
5) further sales of assorted fertilisers and agro-chemicals for the 2010 cropping season;
6) exhibition and further sales of improved seeds and seedlings, as well as, livestock and fishery equipment;
7) exhibition of farm produce by beneficiaries of Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme; and,
8) Flag-off of livestock vaccination campaign for 2010 season.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to mention that our agricultural export promotion initiative has been successful and encouraging. The regular export of Nasarawa State yams to the United Kingdom and other European markets would therefore be pursued with more vigour. Arrangements are also being made for additional export products like beniseed and sweet potatoes to be incorporated in the export drive.
We are making concerted efforts to complete the Export Processing Centre at Keffi. Furthermore, the partnership arrangement between the Federal and State Governments with Wilbahi Engineering Ltd for a similar project in Lafia is on going.
Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, at this juncture, I need to stress the imperative of loan repayment by the beneficiaries as a guarantee for continuity and sustenance of the Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme. I, therefore, urge all those concerned to utilise the loans for the purposes intended and to ensure that repayments are made, as and when due.
For the avoidance of doubt, I want to assure that Government is aware of the need to monitor the activities and performance of an agricultural initiative of this nature and magnitude. To this end, a monitoring and evaluation team has been put in place to guide the operation of the Scheme. In the same token, the State Agricultural Extension Service is being expanded and strengthened to advise farmers on best practices in the industry.
The Nasarawa State Produce Development and Marketing Company Ltd., will continue to encourage and ensure good pricing and market outlets for our agricultural produce, both within and outside the country.
Finally, I would like to thank the Federal Government, development partners, traditional rulers, and most importantly, our farmers and farmer associations whose support and understanding have been largely responsible for the successes recorded under the Scheme. It is my hope and expectation that this valuable partnership would grow from strength to strength in the years ahead, for the good of all.
Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Your Royal Highnesses, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, on this note, it is now my pleasure to formally launch the second edition of the Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme in Nasarawa State.
Thank you and God bless.
PROTOCOL:
It is with a sense of great satisfaction and fulfilment that I welcome you all to this momentous occasion of the launching of the Second Edition of our Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme.
Let me specially welcome the Chairman of this occasion, my brother and colleague, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, who is here with a distinguished entourage.
Your Excellency, the Government and people of Nasarawa State cannot thank you enough for this demonstration of brotherhood, support and solidarity which has been the hallmark of the relationship between the peoples of Kaduna and Nasarawa States.
In the same vein, I welcome our Special Guest of Honour, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Professor Sheikh Ahmad Abdallah, OON, the Garkuwan Raba-Nupe.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, the presence of the Honourable Minister at this event no doubt underscores the unanimity of purpose between the Federal and Nasarawa State Governments on accelerated agricultural development for sustainable food sufficiency and food security in the country.
Let me also warmly welcome the Guest Speaker, Prof. Daniel Verishima Uza, the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, who is our distinguished neighbour and ally in agricultural enterprise.
I welcome our Development Partners, Stakeholders, Special Guests and, indeed, our dear farmers, for whom this event has been packaged. We appreciate your partnership in our concerted efforts to turn around the fortunes of agricultural industry in Nasarawa State.
Your Excellencies, Your Royal Highnesses, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, you would recall that at the flag off of the maiden edition of the Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme in July 2009, I dwelt extensively on the main objective of the Scheme, which is, to engender co-ordinated and accelerated growth in the agricultural sector, as a critical plank for the overall integrated development of the State.
The Badakoshi Scheme is conceived to be the flagship of our agricultural policy with the following core objectives:
1) restoration of interest in agriculture as a means of livelihood and wealth creation;
2) ensuring that farmers in the State get economic value for their produce through good and appropriate pricing;
3) ensuring value addition to agricultural produce in the State through enhanced storage, processing and marketing;
4) creation of employment opportunities and wealth for our people;
5) maximising the use of our areas of comparative advantage in the agricultural industry;
6) exposing our farmers to modern trends, practices and technologies in the agricultural enterprise; and,
7) accelerated agricultural production for food sufficiency and food security.
Towards realising the objectives of the Scheme, the following package of incentives were provided to our farmers during the 2009 farming season:
1) Agricultural loans to various categories of the farming population totalling Five Hundred Million Naira;
2) Allocation of 150 tractors to farmers under the tractor loan component of the scheme;
3) Three Hundred Thousand bags of assorted fertilisers were provided to our farmers at subsidised cost of N1,800.00 per bag;
4) Agro-chemicals, including herbicides and pesticides were provided to farmers at highly subsidised cost; and,
5) Agro-service centres were made available to facilitate proper maintenance of tractors and farm implements by our farmers.
As a policy back-up for the successful implementation of the Scheme, all public officers, institutions, including traditional rulers in the State, were encouraged to establish personal and official farms of between 1-5 hectares each.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to point out that the preliminary scorecard of the scheme is most encouraging. It indicates that we are on course. Worthy of note is the fact that we have:
1) revived and generated phenomenal interest in agriculture among our people;
2) recorded significant increase at all levels of food production by our farmers;
3) achieved a breakthrough in direct export of agricultural produce from the State to the outside world;
4) stimulated active participation of youth and women groups in agriculture;
5) recorded significant involvement of public officers in agricultural enterprise; and,
6) strengthened partnership with the Federal Government, development partners and other relevant agencies in the industry.
Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, it is against the background of this success story, that we are determined to keep the momentum. Let the message, therefore, go forth from here that, the Government and people of Nasarawa State have through this scheme, put together a movement for a Green Revolution in the State.
My dear people of Nasarawa State, the second edition of the Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme in 2010, for which we are all gathered here today, will feature the following:
1) further disbursement of agricultural loans to farmers totalling N500 million;
2) further allocation of 100 tractors under the Tractor Loan component of the Scheme;
3) allocation of Agricultural Processing Machineries to deserving agro-processors;
4) disbursement of Fadama III agricultural grants and allocation of vehicles and motorcycles to beneficiaries;
5) further sales of assorted fertilisers and agro-chemicals for the 2010 cropping season;
6) exhibition and further sales of improved seeds and seedlings, as well as, livestock and fishery equipment;
7) exhibition of farm produce by beneficiaries of Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme; and,
8) Flag-off of livestock vaccination campaign for 2010 season.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to mention that our agricultural export promotion initiative has been successful and encouraging. The regular export of Nasarawa State yams to the United Kingdom and other European markets would therefore be pursued with more vigour. Arrangements are also being made for additional export products like beniseed and sweet potatoes to be incorporated in the export drive.
We are making concerted efforts to complete the Export Processing Centre at Keffi. Furthermore, the partnership arrangement between the Federal and State Governments with Wilbahi Engineering Ltd for a similar project in Lafia is on going.
Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, at this juncture, I need to stress the imperative of loan repayment by the beneficiaries as a guarantee for continuity and sustenance of the Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme. I, therefore, urge all those concerned to utilise the loans for the purposes intended and to ensure that repayments are made, as and when due.
For the avoidance of doubt, I want to assure that Government is aware of the need to monitor the activities and performance of an agricultural initiative of this nature and magnitude. To this end, a monitoring and evaluation team has been put in place to guide the operation of the Scheme. In the same token, the State Agricultural Extension Service is being expanded and strengthened to advise farmers on best practices in the industry.
The Nasarawa State Produce Development and Marketing Company Ltd., will continue to encourage and ensure good pricing and market outlets for our agricultural produce, both within and outside the country.
Finally, I would like to thank the Federal Government, development partners, traditional rulers, and most importantly, our farmers and farmer associations whose support and understanding have been largely responsible for the successes recorded under the Scheme. It is my hope and expectation that this valuable partnership would grow from strength to strength in the years ahead, for the good of all.
Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Your Royal Highnesses, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, on this note, it is now my pleasure to formally launch the second edition of the Badakoshi Agricultural Scheme in Nasarawa State.
Thank you and God bless.
