JALINGO- The Federal Government in collaboration with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Office in Jalingo has began the distribution of 8,000 bags of fertilisers to women farmers in Taraba State.
The Acting Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the state, Mr Amos Mafe, said the initiative was designed by President Goodluck Jonathan to empower women and reduce poverty through food production.
He said under the MDGs Women Empowerment Scheme, each of the beneficiaries was entitled to a bag of fertiliser free of charge.
According to him, the exercise will go a long way to spur food security in the state.
Mafe said the beneficiaries were expected to redeem their fertilisers from the four redemption centres located in Jalingo, Iware, Mutum-Biyu and Bali Local Government Areas of the state.
He said the distribution, which was being handled by International Fertilisers Development Centre (IFDC) in collaboration with the MDGs Office in the state, was expected to last for five days.
Mafe urged the beneficiaries to ensure that they make good use of the fertilisers by applying them on their farms instead of selling them.
One of the beneficiaries, Sarah Dauda, commended the Federal Government for the gesture, adding that it would encourage women to go into small scale farming to support the family.
