FILE PHOTO
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) is set to deploy 3 rice processing mills in Adamawa State to assist farmers in value addition.
NALDA also said it has recovered its 4000 hectares farm estate in the state and got additional 5000 hectares of land in Fulfulde through donations which would put in use immediately.
Speaking during an interactive session with farmers in Adamawa, the Executive Secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne the government would lead the farmers through making money from their produce.
He said the era of middlemen coming to buy off farm produce from farmers at a ridiculous rate is gone. He said farmers would add value to their produce and sell.
“Am here in Adamawa State with a message from the President, the message says go to all the communities, develop their land and make the people rich.
“The only way to achieve that in all the communities is through agriculture, and if it is through agriculture and we are all farmers, that means this message is for us. NALDA is back to make millionaires in all the communities in the country.
“We have to discover that the people that make money from farm produces are not the farmers. So, as NALDA, coming back as a business platform is to help you understand that what you are going is business, and when you understand it’s business, you will be able to know how much you will place on what you are producing”, he said.
For rice farmers in Adamawa, Ikonne said “first of all, capacity building is key for them to understand what they are doing as farmers, secondly, land preparation and thirdly the soil test and finally, value addition.
“The value addition will come in a way of rice processing mill. With the rice processing mill, it will be easy and more profitable for farmers in Adamawa State.
“We are meant to understand that Adamawa produces a lot of paddy that goes out to be processed somewhere else, so NALDA is bringing processing mills that will be in 3 different locations in order to process and give value to their produce.”
Furthermore, said he said NALDA would give you improved seeds, to the farmers, supervise them to ensure that they are planting it the way it is supposed to be, then when they harvest, NALDA will buy it from them, thereby cut off those who comes to buy it from the farners cheaper.
“So, when we take it from you and pay the money required, we will process it and then sell it to the public and recover the money we gave to you.
“Those who doesn’t have tractor, NALDA will make tractor available, you are not going to pay money from it, but when are buying the products you harvested, we will minus a certain percentage of money based on the tractor you have used so that we will be able to keep the tractor going”, he explained.
During an interview with journalists after meeting with farmers, Ikonne said NALDA has identified its 4000 hectares of farmer estates in the state.
“We have identified the NALDA existing farm estates which is about 4,000 hectares and we have received additional land donations, yesterday we visited Fulfulde, we have received 5000 hectares donated to NALDA for farming which is a welcome development”, he said.
On flooding, the NALDA boss said “the program we have is to arrest the water because we now know that rainy season will soon set in, but before then, we have to make sure that when it comes, there will not be flood in that area, we are going to take the excess water, keep them and make use of them subsequently.
The Governor of Adamawa State Ahmadu Fintiri who was represented by his
Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr Dishi Khabe, commended NALDA for the initiative.
“I want to applaud NALDA for this great task, the state government cannot do it all alone, the federal government cannot do it all alone, but if a synergy is well built between both parties, our farmers would smile a home.
“The idea of this program is to have food sufficiency in the state which is the goal of NALDA as it affects our farmers in the grassroots, and I saw when the data was collected, how it was collected, and I saw it was done to achieve its desired aim at the grassroots”, he said.
He said the state is committed to supporting NALDA in all areas of its endeavors. “Where NALDA thinks we can come in, on behalf of the state government, we will come in and always do that”, Governor Fintiri added.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
More Nigerians Continue To Test Positive, Die Of COVID-19 Complications ― Analysis
More Nigerians have continued to test positive for COVID-19 and more deaths have been recorded from its complications, Tribune Online analysis shows.
However, Nigeria recorded fewer COVID-19 infections and deaths when compared to the previous week. It also recorded increased recoveries during the same period…
NASS resumption: Legislative aides demand payment of salary arrears
FG Owes Varsity Workers Over N150bn Earned Allowances
The Federal Government is owing the university workers, under the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU), over N150 billion earned allowances…
NASS resumption: Legislative aides demand payment of salary arrears
Killer Herdsmen: Untold Story Of Ibarapa’s Worst Nightmare + VIDEOS
“Please do not talk to my father. He is yet to come to terms with the death of his son. It is a most tragic experience. How does one quantify the loss of a dear brother? My brother was killed like an animal by two herdsmen. His offence was that he asked them to drive their cows off his already cultivated farmland,” Bisi Olaosepin, whose brother was hacked to death, struggled to hold back his tears as he relayed to Sunday Tribune the horrible experience that culminated in the passage of his brother…
As digital assets regain momentum in 2025, the spotlight is shifting toward cryptocurrencies that combine…
By: Hezekiah. O. Bamiji IN April 2017, when the sudden demise of the first civilian…
AT the risk of parroting the ageless Juju maestro, King Sunny Ade, shall we, all…
“We believe the media is the pulse of culture, business, and innovation. This media roundtable…
Speaking on Arise TV's Newsnight, Aguene, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of…
The Jincheng Riders Youths Association says it will partner with the Niger State Government to…
This website uses cookies.