The Adamawa Government has paid N30 million as counterpart fund to the Sasakawa Global 2000 agriculture-assisted programme in the state, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Lucy Ishaku, has said.
Ishaku told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the payment was due to the remarkable performance of the programme last year.
“A counterpart funding of N30 million was paid to Sasakawa Global 2000 last year following its remarkable performance. And the state government is ready to pay another counterpart funding this year,” Ishaku said.
She explained that about 60 commodity associations were formed by the government to assist farmers to gain access to market outlets, and to check the problem of peasant farmers in the state.
“A base-line survey was also carried out for the state last year to enable us know where we stand at the moment and the progress we are going to make in the future,’’ she said.
The commissioner said government was doing everything possible to collaborate with meaningful Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to see that Adamawa became the food basket of the nation.
She said that reports reaching the ministry indicated that there was a remarkable development and change in the lives of beneficiaries of Sasakawa programme and the African Development Bank-assisted projects in the state, especially the women groups.
“The output per unit area has drastically increased in the state as a result of this important collaboration between the state government and the NGOs.
“The decision by the organisations to provide post-harvest technologies and agro-processing machines to service providers and women groups is a welcome idea,” she said.
Ishaku appealed to the farmers to give maximum support to the government to enable it provide more dividends of democracy to the people.