FAO Launches Dry Season Inputs For 50,000 Farmers

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has launched dry season inputs intervention for 50,000 farmers comprising 350,000 individuals for the 2024-2025 farming season for the three North East states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

About 300 households with children under the age of five in Khaddamari, the headquarters of Jere local government area of Borno State, also received safe access to fuel efficient (SAFE) kits including stoves and briquets, as well as Tom Brown (a locally made nutritional supplement).

Flagging off of the distribution of the dry season inputs to the beneficiaries yesterday in Khaddamari, FAO representative in Nigeria, Mr Dominique Koffy Kouacou, said the intervention is with the support of donors including the Government of Norway, the European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the Swiss Development and Cooperation (SDC), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), Government of France and the Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities (SFERA).

He said the FAO’s intervention is targeted at 50,000 households across 24 local government areas (LGAs) in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, adding that in Borno State, 24,500 households in 12 LGAs in Bama, Damboa, Dikwa, Gwoza, Jere, Kala Balge, Konduga, Kukawa, Mafa, Mobbar, Monguno and Ngala would receive inputs, while in Adamawa, 9,800 households across six LGAs in Girei, Madagali, Mayo Belwa, Mubi North, Numan and Song would benefit from the distribution.

“In Yobe State, 14,700 households will receive the inputs across nine LGAs in Bade, Bursari, Fika, Gaidam, Gujba, Gulani, Nangere, Tarmuwa and Yunusari.”

The inputs include assorted vegetable and cereal seeds such as maize, rice, amaranth, cabbage, carrot, okra, onion and tomato, alongside NPK fertiliser and petrol-powered water pumps to support dry season farming.

“The distribution of these inputs is designed to support recently relocated communities and flood-affected areas, providing them with the necessary resources to recover and build resilience. Each household will receive either 10 kg of maize seeds or 12.5 kg of rice seeds, or a combination of vegetable seeds, along with 25 kg of NPK 15:15:15 fertiliser. Additionally, groups of farmers will share water pumps to help irrigate their farmlands,” he said.

Mr Kouacou, revealed that the latest Cadre Harmonisé analysis showed that conflict and insecurity have left about 4.9 million people in Northeast Nigeria facing food insecurity, with 1.3 million in Adamawa, 2 million in Borno and 1.6 million in Yobe projected to be in crisis or worse.

He said this situation has been worsened by floods, droughts and armyworm infestations, which have led to the destruction of over 300,000 hectares of farmland and affected approximately 880, 000 people.

He said FAO’s 2024-2025 dry season input distribution is a key response to these challenges, aiming to help farmers re-engage in agricultural production and enhance food security in the region.

“In partnership with the Borno State Government, the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and key stakeholders in the humanitarian and development sectors, FAO has remained steadfast in its mission to restore livelihoods in Borno and the wider Northeast region,” he added.

Borno State deputy governor, Umar Usman Kadafur who represented Governor Babagana Zulum, expressed his pleasure for witnessing the distribution of the 2024/2025 dry season inputs in North-East to the hardworking farmers in the region.