FG flags of dry season farming in Niger

Minna- In its effort to boost food production in the
country, the federal government has formerly
flagged of this year’s (2014) dry season farming in
Niger state. The flag off took place at the Tungan
Kawo dam and Irrigation project farm land.
Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe
said the dry season farming more than ever before
will be taken more seriously in an effort to
guarantee all year farming to further boost food
production in the country.
She noted that Agriculture in the country had been
over dependent on rainfall adding that henceforth,
government has taken a new step to revive dry
season farming as a way of encouraging an all year
farming and subsequently providing jobs for the
jobless and also boosting food production in the
country.
Mrs. Ochekpe noted that the role of her ministry in
the revitalization of the Agriculture sector cannot be
overemphasized saying, “ my ministry and that of
Agriculture are partners in progress because
without water, there cannot be Agriculture and food
production and that is why my ministry has decided
to transform the
Agrarian community into Agro base Economy.”
The Managing Director, Upper Niger River Basin
Development Authority, Professor Paul Marley in
his speech said the dry season farming is part of
the federal government Agricultural Transformation
Agenda in the area of food security and that all
steps will be taken to accomplish the task.
He described the Tungan Kawo Dam and Irrigation
project as multi-purpose to farmers and inhabitants
of the surrounding villages pointing out that the
reservoir alone provides enough water for the
irrigation of a gross area of 900 hectares with the
advantage of double cropping with not less than
1,800 hectares put to rice cultivation annually by
about 900 farmers which is expected to yield 5,400
tones of paddy rice.