NALDA acquires 200 hectares of land for wheat production in Gombe
The National Agricultural Lands Development Authority (NALDA) has acquired 200 hectares of land in Gombe State for wheat production.
The farm is expected to engage 400 youths when production commences.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony of ‘Dry Season Wheat Production’ at the wheat production site in Dogon Ruwa community of Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State, NALDA Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Prince Paul Ikonne, said the agency will engage more youths among farmers if more land is provided.
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Ikonne explained that youths are paramount in the heart of President Muhammadu Buhari in terms of employment and engaging them in lucrative ventures such as wheat production following its extreme need in Nigeria as there is inadequate production of the commodity compared to its demand.
Ikonne further stated why the groundbreaking ceremony was done in Gombe, which according to him, the environment is naturally good for the cultivation of the crop including processing and packaging.
He said: “We are here in Gombe State based on the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari, who mandated NALDA to achieve food security and to have job opportunities for our teeming youths through viable agricultural value chains.
“But today we are to do a groundbreaking ceremony of wheat production here in Gombe State. Nigeria as a country is in need of wheat production. Our import value is more than what we produce, and we are consuming more than what we produce in terms of wheat so that makes wheat production very lucrative and very attractive.
Guest of honor at the ceremony and the governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, commended NALDA for the project, and also other projects NALDA is executing in line with the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari in terms of creating employment for youths in the state.
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