Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has given approval for the recruitment of additional extension workers to increase manpower and expertise in the wheat value chain in Sokoto state.
Those to be employed are university graduates and holders of national diploma in agricultural science, agric-economy, crop science and related disciplines.
Making this known in a statement issued in Sokoto Tuesday, Tambuwal’s spokesman, Malam Imam Imam, said having introduced wheat to farmers in the state, government will continue to show keen concern for its development.
“Eighty persons will be employed in the first phase of the recruitment, with more to follow in due course. Those to be employed will aid wheat farmers make informed decisions especially as they engage with companies buying their products after harvests.
“The overall objective is to ensure that we achieve the ratio of one extension worker to 500 farmers. As such, more people will be employed in subsequent phases of the recruitment exercise,” the statement said.
It said the extension officers will also lead consultation with farmers and the various business concerns who have shown interest in partnering with the government to develop agriculture in the state.
According to the state, the extension workers will be trained in latest trends in the business and will play a key role in efforts to modernize the agric sector in Sokoto state,
In 2016, the State government trained 115 Local Government workers on modern agricultural extension services.
The workers were drawn from each of the 23 local government areas of the state.
The statement said government will continue to engage farmers with a view to increasing yields and tackling challenges that may arise in the sector.
