Nigerian Government Has Doled out N 54 Billion to Revive Cotton Farming and Production

Nigerian Government has doled out N 54 billion to revive cotton farming and production in the country,Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,Akinwumi Adeshina said while speaking at a cotton stakeholders'workshop in Kaduna,a state in north-central Nigeria.Revealing the Federal Government's intent to procure more than 200,000 hectares of land for cotton cultivation during the current year,he said the land so procured would be made available to farmers along with seeds.National Cotton Association of Nigeria President Haman Kwajafa said though the Federal Government distributed free cotton seeds,some state governments are levying high premium and taxes on farmers.He added that the Government had neglected the cause of cotton farmers in the past and urged the Government to focus on the country's cotton industry and help it to boost production.Dr.Yusufu Garba,Permanent Secretary in the Gombe State Ministry of Agriculture said a large number of farmers in the north-east Nigerian state cultivate cotton,but they lack a market for selling their produce.Hence,he said,the Government should revive the domestic textile industries so as to boost cotton production in the country.Lauding the efforts employed by Dala Farms,Dangote Group and Makama Farms towards development of the farmers in the country,Minister Adeshina said the farmers undertaking cotton cultivation this year would be able to sell their produce,as there are reports of floods devastating cotton farm lands in some other nations.Kaduna Governor Patrick Yakowa stressed on the need for reviewing the agricultural development policies and said the Federal and the state governments should try to improve coordination between them to enhance cotton farming in the state.