To increase productivity for sustainable agricultural development in the country, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has established national farmers helpline centre across the six geo-political zones.

The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Umar, represented by the ministry’s director in charge of Gombe State, Dr. Musa Mohammad, disclosed this during an advocacy, sensitisation and awareness drive for farmers in the Northeast.He said following the high extension agent deficit to farm family ratio, the National Farmers Helpline Centre was conceptualised as one of the pluralist extension delivery approaches.

Umar said the 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 Information Communications Technology (ICT) and it will have a greater penetration to cover a wide area and the target beneficiary in every aspect of agriculture.“It was established the centres to 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 to compliment traditional extension agents/farmers interface.