Japan To Invest 700 Thousand Dollars In Agriculture In Nasarawa
The government of Japan is ready to invest the sum of 700 thousand dollars in agriculture processing and equipment centres in Nasarawa State.
Program Manager of the Nasarawa Agriculture Development Program (NADP), Mr Emmanuel Allahnana, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in his office today (Thursday April 27, 2023), in Lafia.
Allahnana, said the processing and equipment centres will be built in Assakio and Shabu, all in Lafia Local Government Area of the State.
The NADP Program Manager who disclosed that the letter to this effect had been forwarded to the Governor of Nasarawa State through the Commissioner of Agriculture, said the State Government is only expected to pay 10% of the amount.
“There are some investors who are coming into the State; Sasakawa, have have also shown interest to invest in the State and others who are willing to do same.”
“Japan Government is going to invest over 700 thousand dollars in Nasarawa State, by building a processing and agric equipment centres in Assakio and Shabu. The State Government is going to pay only 10% of that amount”.
“The letter is on it’s way to the His Excellency, the Governor, through the Commissioner of Agric and the two communities are ready to give their lands for the projects.
“When the country director came, we met with the Deputy Governor and the State is willing. These are some of the little areas we can help and bring investors into the State” he said.
He also disclosed that Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN) Icon II, is also working in four Local Government Areas in the southern part of the State namely Doma, Awe, Obi and Keana and they are supposed to work in 10 communities each.
“As I am talking to you, we have chosen four locations and the communities will provide 100 by 100 Hectares of land or, 100 by 50, depending on what they have, then building of these agric centres will commence soon” he said.
On this year’s farming season, the NADP Program Manager said, as the ‘farmers hope’ and with help of Governor Abdullahi Sule, they are going to distribute seedlings ranging from oil palms, cashew, rice and maize (yellow and white), are all ready to be distributed to farmers at subsidised rates.
“For fertiliser, I cannot give you the exact figures because the memo through the Commissioner of Agric, is with the Governor. We are awaiting the approval, but I want to believe that it will not be more than 1,200 metric tonnes of fertilizers.”
“For rice, we are targeting 9 tonnes for farmers this year. For maize, we are targeting 5 tonnes, both white and yellow. By so doing, we are ready not minding the climate change, because last year we lost of maize and rice fields to floodings” he said.
