Food security, cost of food stuffs: Nasarawa Govt vows to fight hunger, commences rice harvest,

By David Odama

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State Thursday announced plans to crash high cost of purchasing rice in the state.

This is just as the state government has commenced the harvest of its the rice product from it’s 10,000 hectare of rice farm in Jangwa area of Awe Local Government Area of State.

Governor Abdullahi Sule who made the declaration when he left Journalists on a monitoring visit to the farm and to suppervised the harvest, disclosed that over 2,000 hectares of rice farm was cultivated six months ago, which he said is now being harvested.

He said the rice farm was ready for harvest in six months due to the high yield of the ric adding that the farm production would be cultivated twice in a year, saying that with the increased production, prices of the product would be reduce.

“This project was conceived in line with the Renewed Hope Initiative of President Bola Tinubu aimed at ensuring food security and to cushion the hardship in the country.

“The project is an inclusive one as it has carried both the youths and women in the planting and harvesting of the rice . A lot of indigenes have been employed as a result of this farm.

“As part of efforts to reduce transportation of the farm produce, we have awarded contract for the construction of 18 kilometers asphalt road from Rabi to Jangwa community”, governor Sule stated.

He noted that out of the 10,000 hectares, government would compensate the community members for 300 hectares already occupied for other activities.

He appreciated the people of the state, especially Jangwa community for their cooperation and support so far and called for its sustainability.

In a separate interviews, a community leaders in Ayarkeke – Jangwa community, Zaki Justin Shaku and a youth leader in the community , Mr Yusuf Jangwa, commended the government for conceiving the initiative.

According to them, the project has so far benefitted youths, women and others and called for more of such initiatives to improve the standard of living of the people.

They equally called on the Government to provide more infrastructure especially road network to the community to enable the transportation of their farm produce to the markets.