In an effort to increase productivity for sustainable agricultural development in the country, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has established national farmers helpline centre in 6 geopolitical zones.
Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Mohammed Umar, represented by the ministry’s director in charge of Gombe state, Dr Musa Mohammad, disclosed this while speaking during an advocacy, sensitisation and awareness drive for farmers in North-east.
He said that following the high extension agent farm family ration, the National Farmers Helpline Centre was conceptualised as one of the pluralist extension delivery approaches.
Dr Umar said the National Farmers Helpline Centre is most effective in bridging the gap experienced in the current conventional agriculture extension delivery system in the country.
“Because it involves the use of ICT and it will have a greater penetration to cover a wide area and the detergent beneficiary in every aspect of agriculture.
“In light of the above, the Federal Department of Agricultural Extensions established the centres across the 6 zones in the country to promote and facilitate efficient and effective agricultural extension services to farmers through the dissemination of good agronomic practice electronically using the latest ICT,” he said.
He said the system would strengthen the partnership that will drive the national agricultural extension service delivery system in the country.
The permanent secretary added that the centres would also serve as a medium for dissemination and delivery of improved technology, market leakages and other agricultural information and advisory services to farmers in compliment to the traditional extension agents farmers interface in the country.
