Benue, US Partner On Agriculture

The Benue State government has invited a team of agriculturalists from Iowa State University in the United States to assist her in the establishment of demonstration farms in four locations in the state.

This was disclosed to LEADERSHIP by the State Governor, Mr. Gabriel Suswam in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja.

Suswam maintained that a good number of officers have been trained and others currently undergoing training at the University on how to manage these demonstration farms.

Under this programme, he said, efficient extension services would be rendered to Benue State farmers for increased productivity.

The governor also said that the Benue State government has commenced the move to enhance agricultural production which will further encourage farmers in the state to go into commercial agriculture.

His words: “right now, I am working on a way to enhance agricultural production and we already have the feasibility studies on the table. We are trying to encourage farmers to go into commercial agriculture so that we will be able to live up to the name, the food basket of the nation”

He also made it known that the agricultural sector in Benue State had recorded tremendous transformation and stressed that the programmes and projects executed to attain the epoch-making achievements were results of the special attention his government was giving agriculture.

To further assist farmers in the state, the governor said that his administration has put in place the expanded fertiliser sales and distribution committees both at the State and Local Government Area.

This, he stressed, was to accommodate all interest groups and to ensure that all the segments of the State were carried along in the sales and distribution of the commodity.

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