By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
Bauchi State Government, on Tuesday, officially launched the 2026 wet farming season and flagged off sales of assorted fertilizer and other farming inputs.
Performing the two functions simultaneously in Bununu, headquarters of Tafawa Balewa LGA, Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, declared that agriculture remains the true driver of the State’s economy.
He also commended farmers for engaging in serious farming activities year in year out stressing that though they are small in number, they are the major stakeholders of human existence.
According to him, “You are the reason why we are here today. You are the true drivers of our economy. Every meal consumed in our homes, every market supplied with foodstuff, every agro-processing enterprise that thrives depends partly on your labor, resilience, and sacrifices.*
The Governor stressed that,
“Agriculture remains the backbone of Bauchi State economy. It is our greatest enterprise and one of the most effective instruments for creating employment, reducing poverty, improving rural livelihoods, and driving inclusive economic growth.”
According to the Governor,
“Almighty Allah has blessed our State with vast arable land, favorable climatic conditions, hardworking people, and enormous agricultural potential. While it was major, the government is to create an enabling environment that allows every farmer to succeed.”
He added that,”That has remained the philosophy of our administration since we assumed office in 2019. We have placed agriculture at the center of our development agenda under my Bauchi project, and today we are consolidating those gains through greater investments, strong institutions, and strategic partnerships.*
He pointed out that, “Our vision has always been clear. We want Bauchi to become one of the Nigeria’s leading agricultural economies. That is why we developed a comprehensive agricultural policy to guide our interventions, revitalize Bauchi State Agricultural Development Program, (BASDP) and strengthen Bauchi State Agricultural Supply Company (BASAC) to guarantee access to farm inputs.”
He further said, “We have revived PADCO after years of inactivity, expand agricultural mechanization with tractor-drawn implements, supported extension services through funding of BASDP, improve rural infrastructure, and then also promoted irrigation farming, and invested massively in youth and women empowerment through agribusiness grants. ”
The Governor explained that,
“These interventions are not isolated projects. These are carefully designed components of our integrated vision to transform agriculture from subsistence to commercial production, from poverty to prosperity, and from hardship to opportunity.”
According to him,”Today is a very clear demonstration of our determination to support farmers, reduce production costs, and ensure no genuine farmer is left behind. My dear farmers, one of the greatest challenges confronting agriculture today is the high cost of fertilizer and other inputs. We understand the financial burden this places on farmers and appreciate the impact on agricultural productivity.”
“Rather than allow our farmers to bear the burden alone, the Bauchi State Government has taken decisive action. Consequently, adequate quantities of fertilizers have already been made available to support this year’s farming season. Despite the rising cost of fertilizer production, which stands at N38,000, government has resolved that our farmers should not bear the full burden,” he assured.
Bala Mohammed then declared,
“Accordingly, I am pleased to officially announce that the Bauchi State Government has approved the sale of high-quality NPK fertilizer at a substantially subsidized price of N20,000 per bag throughout the 2026 farming season. That is a substantial bargain of subsidy. This subsidy represents a major investment in food security and overall prosperity.”
According to him, “We believe that our support provided for our farmers is an investment in the future of Bauchi State. I assure our farmers that fertilizer distribution will be carried out across all the 20 local government areas to ensure equitable access. In this regard, I direct BASAC to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in the fertilizer distribution processes.”
The Governor then stressed that,
” Our vision goes beyond making fertilizer available. We are building a modern, resilient, and competitive agricultural sector that delivers value across the entire agricultural value chain.”
He stressed, “Accordingly, the administration is investing in improved seeds, agricultural mechanization, irrigation development, extension services, climate-smart agriculture, value addition, agro-processing, and improve market access. We are also strengthening rural infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses, improve farmers’ incomes, and stimulate economic activities across our rural communities. ”
Furthermore, he said, “As climate change continues to pose serious challenges against agricultural production, I urge our farmers to embrace modern farming practices, adopt improved technologies, and make effective use of extension services.”
The Governor stressed that, “Agriculture today is not less driven. Success is based not only on the size of one farm, but also on ability to apply innovation, technology, and good agro-nomics practices.”
Speaking earlier, State Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr Iliyasu Aliyu Gital, described the government’s intervention as commendable, assuring that the Ministry would effectively supervise the distribution of fertilizer and other inputs to reach the target beneficiaries.
He expressed the Ministry’s readiness to implement the laudable programmes aimed at achieving food sufficiency, strengthen the agricultural value chain and promote sustainable economic development across the state.
The Commissioner also commended the Governor for approving release of finds for the early procurement of the assorted fertilizer to enable the farmers have it before advanced stage of the wet farming season.
He assured that the commodity procured will go a long way in reducing the hardship farmers used to face at periods like this.
The Commissioner further assured that the Ministry, through its various agencies will effectively monitor the sales of the commodity to ensure that only the target end users got it.
The Emir of Bauchi and Chairman of the State Council of Traditional Rulers, Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu, thanked the Governor for making the commodity available in good time before the peak of the raining season.
The Governor later flagged of the sales of the fertilizer by selling directly to a few of the farmers after issuing receipts of purchase.
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