Hon. Muhammad emphasized that the training is important to Bauchi State because, as he puts it, it represents a good opportunity for the trained extension workers to grow their knowledge based and improve the state’s agricultural sector.
He observed that in the long run, Bauchi would increase its internally generated revenue which is in tandem with the commitments of the state government under the amiable leadership of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad.
“No doubt, the Bauchi State Government has demonstrated some zeal to support agricultural development through gradual upward reviews of its agriculture budget annually”, the legislator pointed out.
He however noted with dismay that Bauchi is yet to maximize its agricultural production potential towards economic growth and improved livelihoods, for several reasons which include policy and practice limitations in implementing unified agricultural extension services for increased productivity and better living standards of small-scale farmers.
“With limited extension workers for small-scale farmers, Bauchi State farmers received limited guidance and training in technology adoption and application of inputs, resulting in low productivity, reduced export opportunities and threaten livelihoods”.
Hon. Babayo Muhammad also expressed dissatisfaction with the current ratio of one extension worker to five thousand households in the state, and urged that the executive arm should place premium on agriculture in order to ensure food security and eradicate poverty, absorb agricultural extension workers trained in Abuja to assist small-holder farmers to address the many challenges of agricultural production in the state.
Hon. Muhammad also stressed the need for the Ministry of Information to be mandated to sensitise small-holder farmers on adopting efficient and sustainable agricultural practices to improve productivity and livelihood of farmers in the state.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Yakubu Suleiman while contributing to the motion, said that the best way to reduce poverty in Bauchi State is through farming, thus describing the motion as timely and important.
Another lawmaker, Hon. Musa Wakili Nakwada (Bogoro Constituency) said that about 80% of citizens of the state are farmers, who need only guidance to improve their farming, saying however that farmers are finding it difficult to know the best way to use chemicals and fertilizers in their farms.
Nakwada recalled that years back there were many extension workers in the state but now they are nowhere to be found, hence the need to absorb the trained extension workers and employ more so as to boost agricultural production.