By Correspondent in Minna.

Over 5,000 peasant farmers across Niger State’s three senatorial zones benefited from free tractor services provided by the Niger State Fadama Coordinating Office during the last cropping season, a major initiative to boost food production for local consumption and export.

The State Fadama Project Coordinator, Alhaji Shehu Kudu Mohammed, revealed this during a courtesy visit by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by Chairman,Comrade Abu Nmodu.

He enumerated various federal government intervention programmes implemented through the state Fadama office to alleviate the economic impact of COVID-19 on rural farmers.

The coordinator added that on tractor services, farmers received free inputs such as fertilizers, chemicals, and seeds.

According to him,poultry farmers were provided with 50-day-old chicks, bags of feed, and veterinary drugs to promote self-reliance.

Under the Fadama Delivery Leave Indicator (DLI), farmers were also supported with free bags of rice, maize, sorghum, and fertilizer,he added.

The initiative, he said, include, the provision of solar-powered irrigation pumps to clusters of ten farmers each, as well as the construction of feeder roads, culverts, and mini-bridges to enhance transportation of farm produce.

These measures , the coordinator said aimed to improve agricultural productivity and the livelihoods of rural communities.

The Fadama Coordinator urged journalists to amplify the agency’s programmes in their reportage to ensure more rural farmers benefit, while promising closer engagement with the NUJ in future initiatives.

Comrade Nmodu commended Fadama’s efforts and expressed optimism about further collaboration to extend the benefits of these programs.

He emphasized the importance of journalists’involvement in food production, noting that many of them are known to have engaged in agro-business.