The minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari has said that the federal government is vigorously implementing President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, with a resolute commitment to ensuring food availability, affordability, and accessibility for every Nigerian.
Senator Kyari, who said this yesterday in Maiduguri, added that the ministry has initiated a multi-faceted approach to overcoming challenges in the sector.
He said a national wheat farming programme has been launched to drastically reduce Nigeria’s reliance on wheat imports, which currently stand at six million tonnes annually.
Kyari explained that broader reforms include the distribution of fertiliser to farmers, which boosted rice production by 58,000 tonnes, allowing for subsidised rice distribution to flood-affected states in the country.
The minister noted that insecurity and widespread flooding have severely impacted Nigeria’s agricultural output.
To counter these setbacks, the ministry has rolled out several key initiatives.
Cross River State has notably become the first southern state to join the wheat production drive.
”In addition to wheat, the ministry has championed a successful rice programme, leading to positive harvests nationwide,” Kyari said.
The minister emphasised the delicate balance between safeguarding consumers’ and producers’ welfare, noting that our local farmers produce 80 per cent of our food.
” Looking ahead to Nigeria’s projected population of 400 million by 2050, the ministry is focused on empowering youth through mechanised agriculture to achieve robust food security and agricultural development.
“The federal government is also committed to restoring national assets, including tractors and other vital equipment, to enhance agricultural productivity,” he further said.
To minimise post-harvest losses, the Minister revealed a bilateral agreement with Brazil to preserve, process, and store perishable agricultural products.
He added that Nigeria has partnered with Belarus to provide service providers for farming aggregation, aiming for massive productivity gains.
The minister warned farmers against mismanaging government-provided tractors and equipment, urging their judicious use to boost local agriculture.
He also announced plans to reactivate Nigeria’s largely dormant silo sites, saying that currently, only three are active.
” The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will collaborate with stakeholders to ensure these critical storage facilities are fully utilised,” he added.
