From: Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State has said that one of his missions in the state was to ensure rice, goats and other agriculture produce from indigenous farmers reach New York City and Japan.
To accomplish this dream, Governor Bagudu said his administration welcomed international observers and research organisations to make critical assessments of the agricultural policy of the state government to enable it fully develop agriculture.
The governor said this, on Wednesday, while hosting experts and professionals on Agriculture from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Ibadan at the Government House, Birnin-Kebbi.
According to him, “The aims of this administration is to make rice produced in Kebbi State to serve in restaurant in New York City, United States of America and Livestock reared in the state to be on the menu list in restaurant in Tokyo, Japan.”
The Governor expressed the delight about the success so far recorded by his administration in Agriculture reform and production which he said could not have been possible without the support of members of the State House of Assembly and other government functionaries.
Governor Bagudu informed the Agriculture specialists that Kebbi State has recorded 300 per cent increased in rice and wheat production in Nigeria addition that the State was second to Yobe State in livestock production in the country with rich potential in fisheries.
He appealed to the IITA to establish it outlets in Kebbi State stressed that varieties of crops growing in the state including Groundnuts,soya- beans,cowpeas, Seasan-seeds, Banana, Cocoyam, Yam, Millet, Banbora-nut, Sugarcane, Guinea-corn, Cassava, Ginger and so forth.
Team leader of the experts from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture Ibadan, Dr. Kenton Dashiell, in his remarks, informed Governor Bagudu that the institute which celebrated its ,50 years anniversary last July has been recognised worldwide as centre of excellence on Agricultural resources .
Dashiell explained that, the team was on a research mission to the State to learn about Agricultural potential of the area adding that,as a specialist on soya-beans, it would be opportune for them to examine the soya-beans production in the State which has reached commercial proportion.
In his remark, Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Lawal, told the visitors that Kebbi State had the fertile land for agricultural production in the wet season as well as irrigation farming stressed that major rivers such as River Niger, River Rima Zamfara, River Ka and River Shallah have crisscross many local government areas of the state which make to crops and fishing farming comfortable for farmers.