Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has flagged off the distribution of 90,000 bags of subsidised fertiliser to farmers across Kano State as part of efforts to boost agricultural production and enhance food security.
The fertiliser, conveyed in 150 trucks, will be distributed across the state’s 44 local government areas.
Speaking at the official launch of the distribution exercise on Thursday, Governor Yusuf, described agriculture as a key pillar of his administration’s development agenda, saying the government had prioritised investments in the sector over the past three years.
Governor Yusuf explained that each local government would receive an average of three truckloads, while each ward had been allocated fertiliser for 70 beneficiaries to ensure that genuine farmers benefit from the programme.
The governor noted that although a bag of fertiliser currently sells for about N50,000 in the open market, the Kano State Government, in partnership with the 44 local government councils, had subsidised the product by 50 per cent, allowing farmers to purchase each bag for N25,000.
He described the subsidy as a joint intervention by the state and local governments designed to ease the financial burden on farmers during the planting season.
To ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution process, Yusuf announced the constitution of a fertiliser distribution committee headed by the Commissioner for Agriculture.
He added that similar monitoring committees had also been established in each of the 44 local government areas to oversee the equitable distribution of the fertiliser to intended beneficiaries.
