Wheat farmers in Adamawa, under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) programme in Fufore Local Government Area, have applauded the federal government over its intervention in irrigation farming.
The NAGS-AP is a federal government initiative aimed at boosting agricultural production, enhancing food security and empowering farmers nationwide.
The national programme, which was launched in 2023, has commenced in 16 states, including Adamawa.
In separate interviews with beneficiaries of the programme at Kapo Community on Thursday, they expressed gratitude for the subsidised inputs provided by the government.
Yusuf Musa, Kapo Community Leader, described the initiative as transformative and commended the government for prioritising wheat production.
He said that the support had been of immense benefit to his farming.
“The federal government intervention is really commendable; with the subsidised inputs of high quality wheat seeds and fertilisers, the crops are growing well and we are hopeful of higher yield this season.
“At present, in the Kapo community, we have over 200 hectares of land available for the project but we cannot utilise it all because of the huge resources needed to cultivate the land.
“We are appealing that the government supports us with mechanised tools and machinery; with that, the government will not have the need to import wheat from other countries,’’ Musa said.
Also speaking, Theman Bagale, a farmer and Cluster Head for (NAGS-AP) programme, also appreciated the gederal government for the intervention
“The support from the government has been very helpful in our irrigation farming; the cost of inputs was highly subsidised and we anticipate higher yield of wheat this season.
“Many more farmers in my cluster have purchased their inputs, cultivated their land and planted the seeds.
“Despite the challenges that come with dry season farming, we are making progress; we are seeing the impact and hopeful for a very good yield,’’ Bagale added.