"AGRICULTURE HAS ALWAYS BEEN KATSINA'S ECONOMIC MAINSTAY" - Masari

By Innocent Imoh


The Katsina State Governor, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, says Katsina's economic mainstay had always been agriculture.

Katsina Media and Publicity reports that Masari was speaking when he received the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Muhammadu Buhari House, the seat of Katsina State Government.

Masari recalled that the prominent sons and daughters of Katsina Province including President Muhammad Buhari  were educated with proceeds realized from agricultural production by the then Native Authority.                                             

He also observed that agricultural production could uplift the status of a country where no other product could do so in the ever- growing competitive global environment.

The Governor however, remarked that modern agricultural production could not be successful without education, stating that it was the reason the APC administration placed emphasis on restoring the lost glory of both education and agriculture in the state.

He stated that right now the APC administration in the state had started work on an economic zone that would be driven by processing of agricultural produce as a means of restoring the economy of people of the state.                   

On conflict and crisis bedeviling the agricultural sub-sector of the economy, Masari explained that the elites caused the furore to hide their past failures.                 

He expressed optimism that the APC administration led by President Muhammad Buhari would overcome and place Nigeria on a pedestal of agricultural revolution to move that nation forward.

@Katgovmedia reports that earlier the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe told Governor Masari that he was in Katsina on tour as part of the six states implementing IFAD agricultural programmes in the country.               

Ogbe said the visit would enable him to flag-off and commission some of the IFAD agricultural programmes in Katsina State. Such programmes, he said include "rehabilitation of rural feeder roads, expanding the production of grains by local farmers, seeking to find solution to farmers-fulani clashes, increase the production of animals feeds, and planting of grasses as food for animals" among others.   
       

On cattle production, Chief Audu Ogbe announced that a recent survey had shown that rearing of animals accounted for 6% of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in Nigeria, which must not be toyed with by any serious government.     
     

The Minister revealed that 590 km of roads are to be done by IFAD in Katsina State adding that the tree planting aspect of the programme would be pursued with vigor to reduce the menace of advancing desert.                         

In addition, he said "the ability of local farmers to feed Nigerians with home-grown rice would continue to receive the APC administration's attention and encouragement".                 

He hoped that the state government would support the production of Accah cereal as it is now in high demand by the Japanese government, adding that goat meat is in high demand by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. He therefore called for collaborative efforts to enhance agriculture in the country.

Recall that Katsina Media and Publicity have been reporting perpetually about the Katsina Government's unrelenting dedication in the development of Katisna especially in the agricultural sector and the educational sector which compliments all others.