The Federal Government on Thursday distributed agricultural inputs to 750 smallholder farmers in Kaduna State to boost food production.
Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, said the intervention was part of the “inputs distribution for all-year-round farming” initiative of the ministry.
The intervention followed the July 2023 declaration of a state of emergency on food security aimed at increasing output, reducing food inflation and strengthening national supply.
Kyari said the ministry had reviewed and realigned its programmes to prioritise support for smallholder farmers in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Represented by Mr Kizito Gukas, Director of General Services in the ministry, he said the distribution formed part of short term measures designed to cushion farmers, stimulate production through transparent processes.
“Our focus is to ensure that essential agro inputs and basic farm machinery are accessible and affordable to farmers most affected by high production costs,” Kyari said.
He added that collaboration with the state governments, development partners and the private sector remained critical to achieving food availability, accessibility and affordability.
Earlier, Mr Anto Ogh, Kaduna State Coordinator of the ministry, said the inputs were distributed to cooperative societies and farmer groups to enhance productivity.
He urged the beneficiaries to maximise the support and contribute to national food sufficiency.
A beneficiary, Muhammad Numbu, Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Kaduna state chapter, commended the Federal Government for the support.
He said the items received included improved seedlings, herbicides, sprayers, organic fertiliser, water pumps and a grading machine.
Numbu, however, appealed for improved security and stable markets to enable farmers maximise production and contribute to national food security.
