By Bisola Adeyemo
The National Agricultural Lands Development Authority, NALDA, is set to improve wheat farming in Gombe State, North East Nigeria.
About 200 hectares dry season wheat farm was made available for farmers in Gombe State with the target of engaging 400 youths.
This was done to encourage farmers to go into wheat production to earn income from wheat production, and also help reduce the volume of wheat importation in the country, VON gathered.
The Administrative Secretary of NALDA Prince Paul Ikonne, who spoke at the Groundbreaking Ceremony of 2021 Dry Season Wheat Production’ at the wheat farm, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime is more focused on the youths particularly in the area of employment and engaging them in lucrative ventures through Agriculture.
Part of his word “We are here in Gombe State based on the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari, have mandated NALDA to achieve food security and create job opportunities for our teeming youths through viable agricultural value chains.
“Our import value is more than what we produce, and we are consuming more than what we produce in terms of wheat so that makes wheat production very lucrative and very attractive for farmers.
“Our wheat consumption is more than 6 million metric tonnes annually, and we are producing like 1.1 per cent of what we consume. Gombe has been positioned by your natural nature as the potentials and as one of the States that would be producing wheat in Nigeria.
“We will need more additional sites in terms of land provision. This community that have provided the land they are the immediate beneficiaries as we provide them the herbicides, pesticides, pumping machines, seeds, technical support, we will encourage our youths to be more productive, make money from wheat production.
The wheat production is in 9 states with 2500 hectares of land donated by the 9 state governments of which Gombe is one of them.
The 2500 hectares is targeted to produce 10,000 metric tons of wheat which would go a long way in bridging the country’s demand Deficit.
“And NALDA will engage more youths among farmers if you provide more land. Seeing you as an agric-friendly Governor, Your Excellency, NALDA is positioned to partner with you. We are willing and ready to go all out to engage your youths as directed by Mr. President.”
“This is what integration and cooperation should be. Your support has made this project very smooth for NALDA. I used this to challenge other states going forward that partnership between Federal Government and State Government is for the benefit of the people to a large extent and the entire country.”