NKRUMAH ABNKONG-OBI/Lafia
Governor Adbullahi Sule of Nasarawa has said the yield in the state’s farm is commendable and marks a new perspective that it will operate. He said although renowned for its solid mineral endowment, Nasarawa State is showing that agriculture is easily one of significance to it.
The governor stated this on Thursday, when he visited the Jangwa community in Awe Local Government Area where the 10,000-hectare rice farm is located to appraise the pace of work at the farm. “From what we have all seen here today, Nasrawa is not only the state of solid minerals but has shown the way that we can be part of the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of [President] Tinubu in food security,” he explained.
He said noted that the operation of the farm began with finding the basic factor of labour. “In our efforts to achieve this, we secured 10, 000hectares of land and started planting with 2,000 hectares, which is the first wet season farming. The yield is really good as you can see. With this yield, we can expand beyond rice farming to other crops depending on the land texture.”
The governor thanked the host community for their cooperation, noting that apart from the land, some members of the community work in the farm as harvesters. “We thank the good people of Nasarawa State, especially the people of Jangwad. From the first dy we arrived here, they have given us maximum cooperation. From day one when we arrived here, they have shown so much support to this project and today, you can see clearly that they believe in this project and they are all here. All the women that we actually engage for this project are all from around here. So, it is an inclusive effort that has carried everybody along,” he noted.
He also talked about opening up access roads to facilitate the movement of people and goods to the markets. To this end,he disclosed that his government is constructing the Ribi-Jangwa road to create opportunities for farmers. The new road to Jangwa is not being constructed because of the farm but because that is what he desired to do. “You have seen, as if we knew, Jangwa is one of the places that we loved so much in Ribi District of Awe Local Government Area. I gave the first road contract here two years ago for rural road. Now we have awarded another contract for asphalt for them, not necessarily for the farm but for the people of Jangwa. Because they also believed in agriculture. Apart from our 10,000 hectare farm, they have several other farms here. In order for them to be able to take out their produce to the market, they need the road,” he said.