Farmer urges govt to revive cotton production

A commercial farmer in Kaduna State, Alhaji Alkasim Ibrahim, on Tuesday stressed the need for the Federal Government to revive cotton production so that moribund textile factories could reopen.Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria in Birnin Gwari, Ibrahim said that the call became imperative because the sustenance of the textile industry depended on the ability of the government to turn around cotton farming.He described as unfortunate a situation where cotton farmers were neither fully mobilised nor enlightened on the efforts being made by the government to revive the agriculture sector.Ibrahim noted that many farmers did not understand efforts being made by research institutes to produce assorted cotton seeds for each of the six zones of the country so as to boost cotton production.Until we understand governments efforts and its assistance, and are informed about loans and other implements toward boosting cotton production, textile factories will remain closed, he warned.Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Programme has begun to sensitise farmers to the importance of cotton production.The programmes Head of Media, Mr Shehu Aliyu, said the sensitisation had started yielding positive results, noting that many farmers had gone into cotton farming in the state due to the experience and information they garnered from the exercise.
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