The Federal Government, through the Ministry of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, has announced that the second phase of the dry/wet season farming intervention will kick off this month, to boost productivity.
This was disclosed by the Minister of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari during a courtesy visit by the executive governor of Jigawa State, Mallam Umar Namadi, to his office at the weekend in Abuja. The visit symbolised the robust partnership between the State and the Federal Government in their collective pursuit of ensuring food security and fostering agricultural development in the country.
Expressing his gratitude to Namadi for the state’s notable achievements in preparing farmlands and distributing agricultural inputs, particularly in the ongoing wheat dry season farming under the NAGS-AP programme, Kyari emphasised the crucial role of such collaborations in achieving the country’s agricultural goals.
He extended his appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for steadfast support in the quest for food security and stressed the Ministry’s commitment to leveraging technology and mechanisation for the massive production of staple crops.
Kyari highlighted challenges, including reported cases of round-tripping in collaboration with agro-dealers and poor validation of farmers’ data, acknowledging Jigawa State’s distinctive efforts in this context.
“We must tackle some of the challenges observed and ensure that they do not impede our agricultural development agenda,” he emphasised.
The minister urged stakeholders in the agriculture sector to overcome challenges, assuring stringent measures in the forthcoming dry/wet season farming for rice, maize and cassava to ensure transparent distribution to genuine farmers.
In support of the minister’s statement, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi commended Namadi as a true champion of the food security agenda. He expressed the ministry’s intent to recommend Jigawa State’s success factors as a model for other states.
In his remarks, Namadi appreciated the ministry’s support and confidence in Jigawa State. He highlighted the state’s significant share of hectares for wheat production under the NAGS-AP programme, nearing 50,000 hectares in total. The governor pledged continued cooperation with the ministry to achieve national food security and assured ongoing efforts to update the state’s farmers’ register.
This announcement marks a crucial step forward in Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, emphasizing the collaborative initiatives between the federal and state governments to enhance food production and ensure the country’s self-sufficiency.
