By Muhammad Amaan
The Federal Government of Nigeria said it has secured a loan facility of 134 million dollars from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to help farmers boost seeds and grain production in the country.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, made this known at the unveiling of the 2024/2025 National Dry Season Farming in Calabar, Cross River State.
He explained that with the reintroduction of the national dry season farming to boost year-round agricultural production, the loan would be handy as well as guarantee national food security in the country.
Senator Kyari said that the initiative was under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project.
He noted that the federal government had declared an emergency on food production to enable all Nigerians get easy access to quality and nutritional food at affordable rates.
The minister also said that the government plans on using the agricultural sector for national economic revival through increase in the production of some staple food crops such as wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava during both the dry and wet season farming.
He added that no fewer than 107,429 wheat farmers have been supported under phase 1 of the 2023/2024 dry season, and 43,997 rice farmers under the second phase of the 2023/2024 dry season.
He explained that recently, government supported 192,095 rice, maize, sorghum/millet, soya bean and cassava farmers under the 2024 wet season across the 37 states, including the FCT.
He said that Cross River was leading 16 other states in wheat production, adding that more than 3000 wheat farmers have been listed to benefit from the support to grow the grain.
Kyari said this informed why the federal government was partnering with the state to kick-start the maiden wheat production and enlisting them among states commencing the current 2024/2025 dry season farming.
“In the 2024/2025 dry season farming, the project is targeted to support 250,000 wheat farmers across the wheat-producing states with subsidised agricultural inputs.
“250,000 hectares of land will be cultivated with an expected output of about 750,000 metric tonnes of wheat, which is to be added to the food reserve to reduce dependence on the importation of the product, and also increase domestic consumption.
“The programme will also provide support to 150,000 rice farmers under the second phase to cover all the 37 states, including the FCT, with an expected output of about 450,000 metric tonnes,” he said.
On the agriculture mechanisation programme, the minister disclosed that the Economic Council received a briefing and approved the Greener Hope Agric mechanisation consortium, which is a ten-year programme totalling 1 billion dollars in investments.
He said that the consortium was expected to set up 1000 agro centres with service providers across the country.
He also said that the centres were also expected to engage about 600,000 youths, providing 2000 tractors yearly for the next five years.
The minister further said that the government had commenced the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice to Nigerians at subsidised rates of N40,000 per 50-kilogramme bag, adding that the exercise would be carried out across the country.
“It is expected that with the injection of 30,000 metric tonnes (1000 trucks of 30MT each of this important staple food into Nigeria’s food balance sheet, it will not only crash the price of rice but also other close food substitutes and alternatives,” he said.
He emphasised that the ministry’s presidential priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda was to boost agriculture to achieve food security, enhance infrastructure, and improve transportation as growth enablers.
“We are also focusing on improving governance for effective service delivery,” he said.
