Katsina State has announced plans to establish a farmers’ radio station, aimed at addressing management aspects of the state’s agriculture production.
The state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Livestock, Prof. Ahmed Bakori, announced this in Katsina on Friday, at a press briefing in preparation for the visit of the Vice-President Kashim Shettima.
He said the state government was making arrangements to receive Shettima on Monday, where he is expected to inaugurate projects executed by Gov. Dikko Radda.
One of the projects to be inaugurated by the vice-president is the newly established e-centre where farmers can get quick responses.
Bakori explained that the government was planning to have the farmer radio station, so that they can communicate with all the farmers in the state freely.
He said that the radio station would offer on-demand support and advice, covering topics from production management to marketing and pest control.
According to him, this initiative is part of a holistic strategy to improve agriculture in Katsina, which also includes providing access to modern equipment and training programmes.
The radio station, he said, was designed to support the state’s large agricultural base, particularly small holder farmers who have a high degree of radio listenership.
Bakori said, “With this development, the farmers would have three sources of information, which include the normal extension workers, and the new Katsina Sustainable Platform for Agriculture (KASPA).”
The farmers would have a radio station where they would be able to communicate, ask questions, so that an expert would be able to respond to them.
“With that, we believe that the management aspect of our agriculture production will be seriously addressed,” the commissioner said.
According to him, if the management aspect is addressed, the farmers are likely to be making profit, and once they start making profit, agriculture will start changing to the needed level.
Also speaking, the state commissioner for Works, Housing and Transportation, Alhaji Sani Magaji-Ingawa, said that Shettima would also inaugurate a 3.3 kilometer road project within the metropolis.
According to him, the road, which started from the Katsina central Mosque, and ended at the WTC roundabout, was constructed at the cost of N1.9 billion.
“The project is provided with a solar-powered street light, and drainage system, reflects the administration’s commitment to infrastructure development that promotes safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability,” he said.
A’isha Aminu, the Director-General of the state’s Enterprises Development Agency (KASEDA), also revealed that during the visit, Shettima would declare open the 9th expanded national Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Clinic. (NAN)
