The Katsina State Government, through the Farmers Supply Company (FASCOKT), has partnered with the Cotton Producers and Merchants Association of Nigeria (COPMAN) to launch a subsidised seed distribution scheme targeting 1,000 cotton farmers across the state.
The initiative, inaugurated on Saturday in Malumfashi, aims to lower the cost of quality cotton seeds and boost production during the current planting season. Under the programme, the state government provides a 50 per cent subsidy, a move FASCOKT’s general manager, Mustapha Radda, said underscores the administration’s commitment to affordable agricultural inputs.
Mr Radda expressed confidence that the intervention would raise output, enhance farmer incomes, and strengthen the cotton value chain in Katsina. He commended Governor Dikko Radda for sustained support through input supply and broader productivity-enhancing measures.
COPMAN’s Katsina chairman, Abdurasheed Lawal, hailed the programme as a reflection of the association’s resolve to revive the state’s cotton industry. In a message delivered by its public relations officer, Abdulsalam Musa-Kafur, he urged beneficiaries to adopt good agronomic practices for optimal yields.
The state coordinator of the Agricultural Development Programme Unit (ADPU), Dr Suleiman Umar, praised the FASCOKT-COPMAN partnership as a commendable step towards revitalising cotton farming. Represented by mechanisation director Yusuf Ibrahim, he encouraged farmers to embrace modern techniques to maximise returns.
In goodwill remarks, Malumfashi council vice-chairman Muntari Adamu-Dayi described the timing as opportune, while the Galadiman Katsina, Justice Sadiq Abdullahi-Mahuta – represented by Sarkin Fulani, Alhaji Aminu Abdullahi – voiced optimism that the scheme would boost productivity and fortify the entire value chain.
Beneficiaries’ leaders, Jamila Yahaya and Alhaji Mika Mu’azu, thanked both organisations for the gesture, pledging to utilise the seeds effectively to reduce production costs and improve cotton output.
(NAN)