THE Fadama III project in Zamfara has created more than one million agro-allied jobs in the last three years, according to its Coordinator, Alhaji Aliyu Altine.
Altine said on Monday in Gusau that the jobs were created through various activities in the agricultural value-chain.
He said the project had disbursed N410 million loan to 800 Fadama User Groups to stimulate improved agricultural production.
“Through the activities of 800 Fadama user groups, registered under the programme, one million jobs have been created.
“Since the inception of the programme in August 2009, we have supported the Fadama user groups with N410 million to boost agricultural production.
“The loan is also meant to engender confidence and self reliance among rural communities.
“In the last three years, we have been able to drill 4,138 tube wells and wash bores.
“We also provided 2,120 water pumps, 529 agro processing machines and 1, 640 work bulls to support farming activities in the state,’’ Altine said.
He said that the programme had also supported farmers with 25 donkeys to transport their inputs to the farms and for easy delivery of farm produce to local markets.
“We have also supported the physically challenged and indigent women with 4,384 sheep and 6,000 goats, for live stock production.
“This is in an effort to make them economically stable,’’ the coordinator added.
He further said:“Under the programme we established 21 poultry houses, 18 fish ponds, three slaughter slabs and 36 blocks of markets stalls across the state.”
Altine also said that the programme had rehabilitated one earth dam and established 16 water drinking points for livestock.
He explained that the project would now focus on rice processing and packaging to further boost economic activities in rural communities. (NAN)