By Ahmad Alabira, Dutse
The Director General, National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), Alhaji Saleh Abubakar has said Jigawa State can produce varieties of dates in commercial quantities and for export.
He said estimated procurement of 5 million date seedlings from Suleiman Farms and Agro-Allied Company Limited in the state can generate about N300 billion for Nigeria annually.
Abubakar who stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Hameem Nuhu Sanusi over the weekend in Dutse, said the five million date seedlings will be distributed to 11 selected states in the country to encourage dates production in commercial quantity.
“I led the Agency’s delegation to Jigawa State to inspect the date seedlings, before final distribution to various states in the country.
“Jigawa state has excelled in dates production and it is estimated that the 5 million date seedlings can generate about N300 billion for the country in the next few years.
“The country’s income generation can increase significantly as well as make the nation to become a great exporter of dates,” DG stressed.
In a welcome remarks, the Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Hameem Sanusi, applauded the Agency for exploring the potentials of the state. He called on other Agencies to come and invest in the state.
“I am calling on other relevant agencies in the country, to come to the state to make proper utilization of its available resources to promote agriculture and improve the nation’s economy in general,” the Emir said.
Also Alhaji Bashir Aminu who is Chairman and Chief Executive of the Sulaiman Farms and Agro-Allied Company Limited said all interested Agencies in the country who can support the vast production of the dates in the state are welcome.
Aminu who is also the Consultant for the date seedlings project in the state, pointed out that the state can boast of having about 150 species of dates which cannot be produced in many countries.
“Our company, Sulaiman Farms and Agro allied Company Ltd, can produce large quantity of date seedlings to commercialize dates farming in the country,” he stressed.
