The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-pocket NAGs-AP, has kicked off the dry season with a momentous flag-off event attended by various stakeholders across the agriculture industry on November 25, 2023 in Jigawa State.
The dry season production flag-off event marked a pivotal step in public-private partnership to achieving food security and enhancing the value of the agriculture sector in Nigeria, and AFEX’s involvement in the initiative underscored its dedication to transforming the agricultural landscape through innovation and technology.
This is even as AFEX posited that dry season production will address challenges of small-holder farmers and resolve Nigeria’s unpredictable rainfall that makes farming practices and food production difficult while improving productivity in food supply.
Currently, Nigeria’s patterns and unpredictable rainfall make dry season farming and production difficult, with challenges across inadequate inputs, ranging from lack of access to irrigated land, high cost of equipment and insufficient financing.
The dry season production will enhance food security and improve agricultural productivity during this period which it said plays a significant role in bridging the gap between food demand and supply and adds significantly to the ability to meet the needs of the Nigerian populace.
To this end, the NAGs-AP was funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), to address the challenges, and increase the production of five key commodities: rice, maize, sorghum, wheat and soybean through the provision of relevant farm inputs to small-scale farmers during both the wet and dry seasons.
Among the immediate interventions is the implementation of the dry season wheat production starting in November, and this scheme is expected to produce 875,000 metric tonnes of wheat. As the official ICT provider for the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) program, AFEX is leveraging its technology infrastructure to develop and manage the process from onboarding farmers to redemption of inputs.
During the event, AFEX demonstrated its innovative input collection and redemption technology, highlighting how it streamlines the process for farmers to access essential agricultural inputs.
Speaking at the flag-off event, the National Project Coordinator, NAGs-AP, Ishaku Buba, expressed that, “The launch of the dry season production stands as a testament to our unwavering commitment to securing the nation’s food supply.
“We are deeply grateful for the collaboration and support of stakeholders across the industry, and AFEX’s demonstration highlights the pivotal role of technological innovation in enhancing agricultural productivity.”
“This event symbolizes not just the commencement of the dry season but also embodies the spirit of collaboration within the agriculture industry. Together, stakeholders are working tirelessly to achieve sustained food security for the nation,” he added.
Managing Director, AFEX Fair Trade Limited, Kamaldeen Raji, stated that, “For us, increasing productivity lies at the center of solving Nigeria’s food shortage challenges, and we are enthusiastic about this administration’s commitment to bolstering farmer productivity through this initiative. In layering technology over this process, we are creating a sustainable model that delivers value for stakeholders in the value chain.”
AFEX’s commitment to leveraging technology aligns with the broader goal of enhancing productivity for farmers and strengthening the agricultural sector in Nigeria. By facilitating efficient input access, AFEX empowers farmers to increase their yields and improve their livelihoods.
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