NALDA receives land donations from Adamawa communities

Ene Okwanihe, Abuja

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority has received land donations for wheat farming in Ribadu village in Fufore Local Government area of Adamawa state, North East Nigeria to boost wheat production in Nigeria and enhance the country’s economic and agricultural growth.

NALDA is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the community to perfect the modalities of the farm.

The land is expected to engage 1000 youth from the community, on a 2 youth per hectares sharing ratio in wheat farming.

Wheat was strategically selected for its viability in the community and also to encourage more people to go into wheat farming to meet up with local demands.

While receiving the land at the Palace of His Royal Highness Dr. Abubakar Aliyu Ribadu (Gidado), in Ribadu, Prince Ikonne said President Muhammadu Buhari is interested in empowering the farmers and raising more millionaires through agriculture.

“What we do is to empower the farmers; the president is interested in raising more Millionaires from farming and the agricultural sector and also attracts more people to go into agribusiness”

“When we take possession of this land we would also allocate it to the indigenes, people from your community that you would nominate, our job is to put them through how to go through dry season farming, provide all the inputs and all the support that they need”

On value addition, Ikonne said NALDA would buy back the produce from the farmers to boost their earning and ensure availability of market.

“Most times farmers sell at very low prices because they just want to sell off and get some money but NALDA buying it back from them means they would sell at the right price in order to get value and NALDA would also recoup the investment they’ve made”

He added that NALDA would work with all the stakeholders in Fufore to get the farmers on board the programme.

Responding, His Royal Highness Dr. Abubakar Aliyu Ribadu (Gidado) said the process of engaging the farmers should be properly done so that only genuine farmers would benefit from the project noting that if shabbily done NALDA’s image would be dented in the eyes of the people.

The Emir appreciated the Executive Secretary’s efforts and assured him of his support on the project while noting that the list of the beneficiaries would be made available to NALDA before the end of October.

Bulldozers are expected to move in and commence land clearing activities by the first week of November of 2021 and land allocation to selected qualified farmers would also commence simultaneously.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary and his team were shown round a land that has been donated to the Authority in Yolde Pate village, in Yola South Local Government Area of the state.

According to the NALDA boss, the land is specifically for Cow fattening, to boost milk and meat production in the state and the country at large.