Institute for Agricultural Research,
Ahmadu Bello University,
P.M.B 1044
Zaria.
The Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Kabiru Bala, today flagged off the sales of highly discounted maize, sorghum, and beans cultivated in the University Farm during the last cropping season to staff.
Launching the sales of the produce right in front of the Senate Building at Samaru in Zaria, the Vice-Chancellor explained that the University sells the farm produce at a “very good discount” to cushion the effects of the prevailing economic hardship.
Prof. Bala said that the plans by the University to commence commercial farming began over three years ago to feed the University community with the needed grains and other farm produce.
He stated that the Committee saddled with the task experienced some hiccups at the start of the project, saying, however, that such challenges were later overcome thereby making a headway.
The Vice-Chancellor further stressed the importance of sunflower, saying that its use should not be limited to production of edible oil as the crop could also be used for massive bee production.
Prof. Bala expressed optimism that the University Farm would bounce back in full farming activities in the next five years as the “our intention as a university is to become a model for Nigeria”.
The Vice-Chancellor congratulated most sincerely the Agriculture Veterinary Complex and the team saddled with the responsibility of organising the sale of the commodities for living up to expectation, and urged them to expand the acreage for cultivation of more crops next farming season.
Earlier in his brief remarks, the Chairman, Agriculture Veterinary Complex, Prof. Junaid Kabiru, explained that ABU was abundantly blessed with huge potential in agriculture, stressing that the University went into farming to enhance agricultural activities and food security.
Prof. Junaid, who is also the Dean of Veterinary Medicine, said that the University Farm was being repositioned to support the institution’s mandate of teaching, research, and community service.
The Chairman expressed the Complex’s immense appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor and University Management for the support towards the success of the project and thanked the committee that guided the sales of the produce to the University community.
Also speaking, the Chairman, University Farming Committee, Prof. Hamza Mani, who was represented by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Yahaya of the Department of Plant Science, said that the Committee set out last year on a large-scale farming, describing the yield as “very appreciable”.
The prices of the produce are highly discounted as a 50kg-bag of maize sells for N20,000, 25kg-bag of maize N10,000, 8kg-bag of sorghum N3,200, and 8kg-bag of beans goes for N6,400.
It would be recalled that the Vice-Chancellor had on 28th September, 2020 disclosed the intention of the University to fully engage in commercial agriculture on its 363 hectares of arable lands.
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