FARMERS in Mikang Local Government Area of Plateau State have been advised to register with the State co-operative society as part of the conditions to qualify them to apply for Farmers’ soft loans and other farm impliments.
The Chairman of the council, Augustine Bako gave the advise during a meeting with the representatives of the Local Government Farmers’ Associations in Tunkus the Council headquarters recently.
Bako said his administration intends to develop the capacity of farmers along value chains with specific target on agric business, crop and manure productions so that they will improve on how to farm newly introduced varieties.
The chairman who spoke through the council’s deputy director of agriculture and natural resources, Mrs. Nanyi Philomina Yaro regretted that the soaring level of unemployment among the youth has become worse.
She noted some of the reasons as the global economic recession; hence the need to look for solutions by implementing policies that will directly stimulate self employment among youths.
The Chairman charged agric staff to make good use of their extension services in order to parley with farmers at all levels to create more awareness on some of the modern farming techniques.
Earlier in an opening remark, the Council’s Potato Value Chain desk officer, Nentawe Wophill lauded the local authority for providing counterparts for the various Agricultural programs.
He stated that the Local Government had expressed willingness to assist farmers who are ready to participate in programs that will update their knowledge and enjoyed them to always liaise with the agric department for updates.
In his words, the chairman of the council’s Fadama three program, Hycinethy Paktem re-assured that farmers will be persuaded to register as advised and appealed to both the state and the local governments to take further steps in food security and other challenges faced by Farmers at all levels..
In a vote of thanks, a representative of one of the Associations from Garkawa District, Dabup Saidu, recounts the successes recorded during the years and warned against those who may take advantage of the present hardship to deliberately ridicule the efforts of farmers for personal reasons.
