By Moses Uwagbale
The Gangwari Ganye of Ganye Chiefdom, Adamawa State, Alhaji Umaru Sanda, has called on federal and state governments to provide subsidy on Cocoa, Coffee, Kola nuts and other agricultural produce farmers.
The Monarch made the call at a briefing to mark his 20 years anniversary on throne.
Sanda who was installed on May 13, 2000, said the call was necessary to enable the farmers attain the efficient national food production and economic growth.
He pointed out that because of the favourable climatic condition of the area, farmers were cultivating agricultural products such as Maize, Sorghum, Rice, Beans, Sesame seed, Sugarcane as well as Bananas and Mangoes in commercial quantity.
He further explained that Cocoa, Kola nuts, Coffee,Oranges and Pineapples were also being cultivated in the area in reasonable quantity.
He observed that 80 per cent of national food production was supplied by small and local famers , hence, the need for federal and state governments to give much and appropriate attention to them.
“We are in the period of economic diversification from over dependence on oil, driving revenue to agricultural based economy.
“ What recently happened in global oil markets should be a lesson for us to fully go back to our agricultural based economy.
“In doing so, federal and state governments should lay emphasis on community based agricultural subsidy to local farmers to guarantee full scale agricultural production and national economic growth, ” the monarch said.
He said the Ganye Chiefdom, had a conducive climatic condition, fertile arable soil and land suitable for commercial agricultural activities.
