Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has flagged off the free distribution of various agricultural inputs and equipment to smallholder farmers’ associations for year-round farming in the state.
The event, which is an initiative of the federal government, is to benefit 31 selected cooperatives, including women and people with special needs.
The Governor applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his continuous support in promoting agriculture, noting that the all-year-round farming initiative of the federal government will greatly encourage farmers and make them self-sustaining, thereby achieving its food security and sovereignty agenda.
He also commended the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security for choosing Niger State as a pilot state for the all-year-round farming initiative and other agricultural policies of the federal government.
The Governor said the support of the federal government will enhance what the state government is already doing on agriculture, and it would address 50% of the challenges of the farmers.
The Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the free distribution of farm inputs to smallholder farmers is one of the many robust policies of President Tinubu to support all-year-round farming in Nigeria to build resilient and sustainable agricultural systems that would ensure food sovereignty.
He said the president’s food policies align with numerous economic reforms to stimulate productive capacity in the country, create jobs, and reduce cost of living, while also guaranteeing inclusivity, adding that the ministry is rolling out many agricultural programmes and projects that would support all-year-round farming.
He appreciated the giant strides of the Governor in agriculture, which he said has made Niger State a model and pilot state for the implementation of federal government agricultural initiatives.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi explained that at least 35% of the inputs are targeted at women farmers to ensure increased opportunities for women in line with the National Gender Policy on Agriculture.
He also stated that the ministry is working closely with all sub-national governments, farmers’ cooperatives, and the private sector to ensure that only genuine farmers get the inputs and called on the beneficiaries to use them effectively.
In their separate goodwill messages, representatives of the Niger State Ministry of Agriculture, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), the Nigeria Association of Women in Agriculture, and the people with special needs appreciated the present administration, both at the state and federal levels, for their continued support towards encouraging the populace engage in agricultural activities, adding that the support has made them self-reliant.
Items distributed were herbicides, liquid fertilisers, pesticides, growth enhancers, power tillers, water pumps for irrigation, grinding machines, and tricycles, amongst other items.
