The government of Borno State is planning to revive the poultry and livestock production business in the state through women farmers displaced by the insurgency in Nigeria’s north east led by Boko-Haram. In order to do this, the government has distributed 40,000 birds to the women.
Mohammed Dili, the state’s commissioner for agriculture, said at the Zero Hunger Nigeria Forum in Maiduguri, that the effort was in line with the government’s commitment to re-energise the dormant poultry unit and improve livestock and fisheries production.
Governor Kashim Shettima, according to him, had initiated various support programmes to transform agriculture, enhance food security and provide means of livelihood for displaced farmers.
“He has promoted livestock, fisheries production and resuscitation of the dormant poultry production units. He has consistently provided farm inputs such as fertilisers, agrochemicals, seedlings, economic trees at no cost except fertilisers which farmers procure at 70 per cent subsidy,” he said.
To reinvigorate the famous wheat production, Dili noted that the government has embarked on procurement of agricultural equipment, including tractors, combined harvesters, thrashers and mills.
This, he added, was to ensure food sufficiency, eliminate drudgery in farming to attract youths, enhance economic status of farmers and work towards the Zero Hunger Goal.
