Katsina State Governor, Mallam Dikko Radda, has reaffirmed his administration’s focus on strengthening grassroots agriculture, as he flagged off the distribution of irrigation equipment and farm inputs to 4,000 smallholder farmers across the state.
The distribution event held at the Government House in Katsina was carried out under the Katsina State Community Development Programme, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Irrigation Authority.
Radda said the effort aligns with his government’s commitment to improving food production, raising rural incomes, and expanding opportunities for farmers across the state.
“Today’s event is not merely a distribution exercise; it is a reflection of our collective commitment to improving the lives of our people, especially our hard-working farmers whose efforts put food on our tables every day,” he stated.
Items distributed include 4,000 irrigation pumps, 4,000 knapsack sprayers, herbicides, and liquid fertilizers, all aimed at making farming more productive and profitable.
He explained that the Community Development Programme was created to ensure the government responds directly to needs identified at the grassroots level, rather than imposing solutions from the top.
“When I assumed office, I made a promise that the government would no longer sit in comfort while our people struggled in silence. That promise gave birth to the CDP, a structure that allows the government to listen directly to the people and respond to their real needs,” he said.
Radda directed program coordinators to ensure transparency in distribution and mandated the Katsina State Agricultural and Rural Development Authority to deploy extension officers to guide farmers on the proper use of the equipment.
“These tools belong to our farmers, but more importantly, they belong to the future of Katsina State. Use them wisely to improve your productivity and lift your families out of hardship,” he advised.
Coordinator of the CDP, Dr. Kamal, said the programme has reached nearly every community in the state since inception, distributing fertilisers across polling units, providing financial support to widows and vulnerable women under KT-Cares, and boosting smallholder farmers’ access to inputs.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Aliyu Lawal, said the support will strengthen irrigation farming, promote sustainable food production and reinforce the state’s agricultural capacity ahead of the dry season.
