Our reporter
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has announced a new initiative to support farmers in regions impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency. Speaking in Bama town on Friday, Zulum revealed that the state government would be offering a petrol subsidy to assist farmers in their efforts to rebuild after years of displacement.
As part of the initiative, farmers in towns such as Maiduguri will be able to purchase petrol at a significantly reduced rate. Currently, the price of petrol in Maiduguri hovers between N1,000 and N1,200 per litre, but under this new scheme, farmers will pay just N600 per litre for fuel used in irrigation farming.
Zulum explained that this subsidy aims to alleviate one of the primary challenges facing local farmers—rising fuel costs, which have made irrigation farming increasingly difficult. “The government will procure petroleum products and sell them to farmers at a subsidised rate to ensure that they can continue their work,” he said.
The governor also highlighted the success of a similar initiative last year in Damasak, Mobar Local Government Area, where a subsidised fuel scheme contributed to increased food production and improved living conditions for farmers.
In addition to the fuel subsidy, Zulum has directed that 2000 bags of mixed NPK fertiliser, 1000 units of water pumps, and 620 petrol pumps be distributed to over 5,000 farmers in the region. Other critical supplies include 380 solar-powered water pumps, 1000 sprayers, 800 rolls of flexible hose, and 1000 gallons of insecticides and seeds.
The Governor emphasized that the Commissioner for Agriculture would coordinate with the Brigade Commander to ensure timely delivery of the supplies to farmers in Bama, a move aimed at further boosting agricultural output in the region.
With these efforts, Governor Zulum hopes to provide much-needed support to farmers, enabling them to recover from the devastation caused by the insurgency and increase food production across Borno State.
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