The Katsina State Government on Monday expressed concern on the shortage of agricultural extension workers in the state.
Mr Ibrahim Musawa, the Managing Director of the Katsina Agricultural and Rural Development Project (KATRDA), dropped the hint to newsmen in Katsina.
“More than 70 per cent of the agricultural extension workers in the employment of Katsina Government have retired and the government has left the farmers to fend for themselves.
“This mass exodus of the agricultural extension workers is a serious matter of concern to the present government, as farmers need the professionals to advise them.
“We have only 20 per cent of the extension workers and their number is inadequate in view of the large number of farmers in the state,” he said.
Musawa said that each extension worker was supposed to provide technical services to 100 farmers at the grassroots.
According to him, at present, an agricultural extension worker provides service to no fewer than 100,000 farmers and this is affecting food production.
“The extension workers are supposed to be posted to each of the 11 wards in a Local Government but now the available number is grossly inadequate.
“We are calling on the State Government to privatise the Local Government Fish Farming Programme and redeploy the staff in the extension services in order to boost food production,” he said.
He urged the State Government to consider the recruitment of extension workers so as to increase their number for improved productivity.
