RICE FARMER’S IN NIGER TASKED TO INSURE THEIR FARMLANDS AGAINST NATURAL DISASTERS.
By Yahaya Zakka Minna.
The Niger state Governor Alh. Abubakar Sani Bello has called on rice farmers in the state to insure their farmlands against natural disasters.
The governor made the call during the distribution of cheques for Crop Insurance Claims for flood-affected rice farmers in the 2022 season in Bida, Bida Local Government Area of the state.
Presenting the cheques to beneficiaries on behalf of the state governor, the Permanent secretary, Ministry of Agricultural Development, Dr. Idris Usman Gbogan noted the need for the farmer’s to key into agricultural insurance activities inline with global practice and production in the state by insuring their farmland against natural disasters.
He also called on the beneficiaries of the intervention to use their money judiciously to enable them recover from loose suffered during the 2022 farming season.
The National Programme Coordinator, FGN/IFAD Value Chain Development Programme, VCDP, Dr Fatima K. Aliyu represented by Alh. Bello Gidado, assured the rice farmers that efforts are being intensified to sustain inter-agency collaboration in responding to climate change challenge.
She explained that the cheques presented to beneficiaries were a federal government response to their sufferings, adding that the challenges of climate change would continue to occur, hence the need for rice farmers to insure their farmlands.
According to her, “Because we are in the era of climate change, these problems may continue to occur and this emphasises the importance of insurance and the need for rice farmers to insure their lands. However, efforts are on to sustain and intensify inter-agency collaboration beneficial to farmers in the state”
The Niger State Programme Coordinator IFAD,,Dr Matthew Ahmed also stated that the collaboration with the Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Cooperation,NAIC, was to ensure the Rice farmers who were affected by natural disasters gather back their looses in the state..
According to him, cheques worth N14m were distributed to the farmers of natural disasters like flood, famine, fire disasters, pest and disease in the state.
He said,,” based on our collaboration when there is natural disasters such as flood, famine, fire disasters, pest , NAIC goes in and access the farmland within 48hrs and the company will start processing their claims. This is a gaint stride for our farmers and the need to keep insuring their fields. And, the government decided to partner with the company to provide succour to help farmers recover quicker from their looses”
The beneficiaries were from four local government areas of Edati, Katcha, Mokwa and Borgu.
