Association wants accurate data on farmers


The Katsina State chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has urged the federal and state governments to keep statistics of genuine farmers in the country to enhance proper planning.
Alhaji Gojo Gojo, the state AFAN Chairman, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Mai’adua.
According to him, the availability of a comprehensive statistics on farmers will check impersonation of farmers and fraud.
He said that lack of accurate data on farmers had posed a serious challenge to the implementation of agricultural programmes, blaming the diversion of the facilities of the Anchor Borrowers Programme on absence of statistics.
Gojo Gojo also called on seed companies to establish demonstration farms for farmers, so as to acquaint them with the practical aspects of the efficacy and yield of their seeds and seedlings.
He said that the lack of demonstration farms for seed companies had resulted in the losses, which many farmers yearly incurred with regard to their production.
The AFAN chief blamed the farmers’ losses on factors such as poor knowledge of planting procedures for certain seeds or seedlings, soil suitability and requisite climatic conditions for the growth of particular crops.
Gojo Gojo, however, noted that Katsina State was blessed with arable lands that were suitable for wheat and rice cultivation.
He said that the absence of tsetse flies and ticks had made poultry farming and livestock production a lucrative venture in the state.

“I am planning to increase the number of chickens in my Tafkin Bauna Poultry Farm from 30,000 to 120,000 this year,’’ he said.

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