Bauchi State Government approves N15 million to host National Agric Show
The Bauchi State Government, Northern Nigeria, has approved the sum of Fifteen Million Naira (N15,000,000) to host a National Agric Show in the state.
The Executive Director, Local and General Agricultural Development Foundation (LOGADEF), Prince Ibrahim Annas, who organizes the National Agricultural Trade Fair, disclosed this to newsmen in Bauchi.
“The show aims to develop the capacity of rural farmers through interactions and knowledge sharing towards self-sufficiency in food production.
“Our major challenge preparatory to the hosting of the trade fair is that the donation His Excellency, Bala Mohammed, has approved to support the programme is yet to be accessed and that has caused delay and postponement of the event two times.
“That is the only challenge we are facing, because we have to mobilize the participants across the 36 states of the federation,” said Annas.
The Executive Director, who appealed for a timely release of the support funds to commence planning of the event, explained that the trade fair would improve the revenue of the state during the period, with economically high long-term benefits.
According to him, LOGADEF has been organizing the trade fair since 1999, and the three tiers of government in the country had used the occasion of the event to launch various forms of assistance to rural poor farmers, helping them to access local and international market patronage.
“Farmers come together to learn from one another and extract one another’s mind and deploy the cross local governments relationship in partnering to expand farmers outreach, reduce flood prone areas, and engage the farmers into all-year round farming.
“Secondly, it promotes backyard farming, especially for women, because the programme is gender sensitive.
“Women are brought together to support their husbands by giving them seedlings to plant at backyard farms and gardens all in the efforts to ensure food security for the nation,” he said while speaking about the show.
Meanwhile, the national agric show is also expected to attract Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development( FMARD); Commerce and Industry; Women Affairs and Social Development, among others.
The Chambers of Commerce across the 36 states of the federation, as well as private organizations are also expected.
Source: Agro Nigeria
