Niger Spends N1.9 Million on Pest Control

 
The Niger State government has purchased chemicals and spray machines worth N1.9 million to check pest invasion, the states Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Aminu Yusuf has said.

Alhaji Aminu, who spoke to journalists yesterday in Minna, said the state government has also provided over 250,000 litres of assorted agro-chemicals for its farmers across the state to check the invasion of pests and birds. He expressed optimism that farmers in the state would no longer suffer losses associated with pest invasion.

Yusuf added that as part of efforts to promote irrigation farming in the state, efforts have been made to secure lands for that purpose.

He said the state government had identified 19 irrigation schemes that require urgent rehabilitation and that not less than 6,200 hectares of potentially viable irrigation sites in parts of the state have been marked out for irrigation farming.

The commissioner said aside making sure that it boosts its agriculture sector, the state would want to remain number one in the production of yam, rice and shea butter nuts.