As the federal government continues to distribute agro-inputs across the states for the dry/wet season farming, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has urged the Governors to commence accurate geo-referencing of farmers in their domain and to provide credible farmers’ data.
This, according to him, will ensure that agro-inputs get to real farmers who have the requisite farmlands to cultivate and are, therefore, not at the mercy of portfolio farmers who hijack agro-inputs and later round-trip to the economic detriment of genuine farmers.
Kyari made the call during the courtesy visit when the Kebbi State Governor visited him in his office in Abuja.
The Minister said the measures being taken to boost food production, reduce food inflation, and guarantee national food security, are matters of urgent engagement that require increased inter-governmental interactions.
He said, “In November of 2023, we flagged off the Wheat Dry Season Farming across 15 states that are in the wheat-producing belt of the country. As a reminder, the flag-off was intended to ensure that we rely less on rain-fed agricultural production during the Wet Season, and instead have all-year round farming.
“In addition to boosting the volumes of crops cultivated, taking advantage of both Dry and Wet Season Farming will increase job opportunities, reduce poverty, de-escalate food inflation, and enhance inclusivity, which are goals highlighted in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Kebbi State is one of the states chosen for the Dry Season Farming across irrigable farmlands. Despite some of the initial glitches, it is reassuring that your government took necessary critical steps, such as land preparation, and facilitation of tubular irrigation, to enable the cultivation of wheat under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) project.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Kebbi State, Dr. Mohammed Nasir Idris, commended the federal government saying his priority is agriculture, education, and security so that farmers will go back to their farmers.
He revealed that the State has purchased 6,000 solar pumps because of the issue of pump-price increase of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), assuring that the state plans to purchase additional 12,000 solar pumps.
He added that presently 6,000 solar pumps are being distributed to farmers, and that the state is going to use the cluster model in order for the farmers to get the pumps and go back to their farms.
“With the importance we attach to farming, my administration has purchased fertilizers worth N2.8 billion to distribute to farmers free of charge, and because of that distributing the fertilizer at a very right time our farmers during the harvest have harvested their crops more than three years back.
“So it is a clear testimony that our farmers are ready to farm, and I can assure the Minister that Kebbi State can feed this nation. For the priority of food security, my administration has purchased 320 trucks of assorted grains and we distributed them to our people free of charge. We are doing these things because we want to encourage them to go back to the farm.
“We have spent N5 billion on all these Kebbi State has purchased as the first phase and we will continue.
“We want to partner with the federal government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. We will make sure we provide the enabling environment for our farmers because we are out to provide food for the State and Nigeria,” he said.
