The Taraba State commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. David Ishaya says the farm implemented donated to the State since 2021 have not been distributed to the farmers in the state because they are grossly inadequate.
Dr. Ishaya who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Ziti News in Jalingo on Saturday explained that the farm equipments will not go round the various groups that have indicated interest to benefit from the gesture hence the continued delay in distributing them.
“sometimes last year we received items, that is some agro implements like mini tractors, we received about twelve mini tractors, eighteen power tillers, ten bum sprayers and about eight transplanters from the NEDC which we are close to distributing it to our farmers, but if you look at those items, they are grossly inadequate, and so we are looking at the best way to see that we distribute this to our farmers in a way that it will not bring about outcry” he said.
He said the items will be distributed to groups not individuals explained that over one hundred cooperative groups have so far indicated interest to benefit from the items.
On the efforts been made by the State government to encourage increase food production, Dr. Ishaya said the government has continued to provide farm inputs for free to farmers to boast their production.
He however called on the Federal government to enlist the colleges of Agriculture to benefit from the TETFUND support in line with its development of the Agricultural sector.
“colleges of Agriculture are under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, they do not enjoy the TETFUND despite been higher institutions of learning, I don’t know why we have made such a mistake as a country, that we will exclude colleges of Agriculture from TETFUND, it is a grievous mistake, because this are institutions that are concern with the research and training of manpower in the area of Agriculture, we expect the government to carry them along, especially that this administration has been blowing its trumpet in the area of agricultural development, but unfortunately the colleges of agriculture, which are over forty in this country are not carried along” he lamented.
He assured that the farmers in Taraba State will continue to get the government’s support to be able to produce more food.
On his part, the Secretary and Legal adviser of the NEDC, Barrister Benjamin Westly who explained that the commission has since its inception provided intervention programs to the entire North East region which includes Taraba State, in terms of short term, midterm and long term to immediately alleviate the sufferings of the people expressed concerns over the delay in the distribution of any intervention given to any State.
“Last Year, I was part of a region wide program, it was not only to Taraba state, we had donated similar items, Tractors, farm inputs and hand held tractors and several others farm input that will help farmers go back to their farms immediately” he said.
“Our responsibility as a commission is to hand this equipments over to the States to distribute as they see fit because the needs was developed by them and brought to us, but when we have handed it over, we expect that the States will do what is required”
“There is a ministry of Agriculture in every State, we can’t take over or usurp there responsibilities, we can only donate these items and then ask them to come back to us with a report, and if the items didn’t get to the people we then decide what we are going to do about that” he said.
Barrister Westly urged Tarabans to get involved in the issue of tackling food insecurity as it affects everyone.
“We have a collective responsibility to deal with food insecurity, it means that young people who have free time should consider to engage such time in whatever aspect of farming, that will support in dealing with food security in Taraba State, we can only do it together” he concluded.