Federal and Cross River State governments have invested N223 million to subsidise inputs for 500 wheat farmers in Obudu in an effort to meet the target of getting 500 metric tonnes of wheat in Obudu local government area of the state.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this yesterday during the distribution of the inputs to the farmers in Obudu local government area of the state.
Kyari stated that both governments took the decision to subsidise the inputs by paying 75 and 25 percent to ease farmers’ burdens in sourcing funds to cultivate wheat.
The minister, represented by the chief administrative officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Jessem Ubi, stated that the wheat cultivation was under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) programme, hence, the farmers need to be assisted.
He stressed that the federal government had no option than to invest a total of N167 million for the 500 wheat farmers in Obudu, while the Cross River State government paid N56 million, representing 75 and 25 percent respectively.
The minister said, “This payment also includes footing the bill for land preparation for the wheat farmers while the farmers are expected to cultivate a hectare each.”
Also, special adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Agriculture, Prof John Shiyam, stated that the 500 hectares cultivated by the 500 farmers will be harvested between 85 to 90 days from now.
He disclosed that government has concluded plans to increase the cultivation from 500 hectares to 3,000 hectares by July 2025 stressing that much efforts had been put in place for harrowing and irrigation of the land.
“Many farmers could not afford the 25 percent requirement, hence the state government intervention.
“We have also concluded plans to cultivate 3,000 hectares by July during the rainy season; the 500 hectares is for the dry season and we are doing this through irrigation and of course, you know the challenge.
“We already have the flour mill in Calabar whose workers before now go as far as Kano and other northern states for wheat. There is also Nigerian Breweries,” he stated.
The chairman, Wheat Farmers Association, Cross River State chapter, Mr Alina Peters, revealed that the federal government has given each of their members two bags of fertiliser and improved seed to enable them begin wheat cultivation.
Peters added that the state governor also assisted the members in ploughing and harrowing the land.
