By Rauf Oyewole
The Bauchi State Government has reduced the price of fertilizer from N38,000 to N20,000 to farmers across the 20 local government areas of the state to reduce the burden of farm input, warning government officials against diversion and hoarding.
Governor Bala Mohammed while flagging off the sale of the 2026 farm inputs sale in Bununu, Tafawa Balewa local government on Tuesday, said that intervention targets post-harvest losses, higher farm incomes, and stronger rural economies.
He said climate change had forced a shift to modern techniques, improved inputs, and better extension services. “Agriculture today is knowledge-driven. Success depends not only on the size of one’s farm but also on the ability to apply innovation, technology, and good agronomic practices.”
He recalled that in 2021, his administration sponsored 1,000 youths and women from the 20 LGAs for training at the International Skill Acquisition Centre in Abuja, adding that the programme covered crop production, livestock, aquaculture, poultry, greenhouse technology, agribusiness management, value addition, and entrepreneurship. The government covered tuition, transport, accommodation, meals, and other costs.
On graduation, each participant received a starter pack valued at about N450,000.
“Today, we are proud of the remarkable outcomes of that initiative. Many beneficiaries have established poultry, fishery, and crop production enterprises, while others have gone into processing and value addition. Several have become employers and role models in their communities, and the programme has helped reduce youth unemployment.”
According to him, another 1,250 youths and women were trained in 2025. The government has now begun paying each of them a N500,000 starter grant, totaling N625 million.
He described the support as an investment, not charity; it is about productivity, enterprise, employment generation, and the future prosperity of the state, urging beneficiaries to use the funds to build sustainable businesses.
The governor warned against diversion. “When you receive your N500,000, please do not disappear and suddenly remember that you need to organize an elaborate wedding. Or do not go and add another wife because the government gave you a starter pack,” he cautioned.
He directed the Ministry of Agriculture to verify that only training graduates are paid and to monitor how the grants are used.
To cut production costs, Mohammed also announced the sale of subsidized NPK fertilizer at N20,000 per bag, against an actual cost of N38,000, assuring that adequate quantities of fertilizer have already been made available for the 2026 farming season.
