The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, says the Federal Government has launched humanitarian interventions and emergency responses to ease the impact of the country’s ongoing food crisis.
Kyari disclosed this on Monday in Akure during the distribution of farm inputs to farmers to boost agricultural production and ensure food security.
He said the government had introduced various programmes to address the challenges affecting national food security objectives.
According to him, the present administration had embarked on economic reforms to stimulate production, create jobs, and reduce the cost of living.
The minister, represented by the ministry’s director of extension, Mr Ayodele Olawumi, said the distribution of inputs was part of efforts to achieve President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government has declared food security as a national priority, culminating in the declaration of a State of Emergency on Food Security in July 2023.
“I wish to assure you that President Tinubu has demonstrated unwavering political will and commitment to transforming Nigeria’s agriculture sector, with food security positioned as one of the central pillars of his administration’s priorities,” he said.
Kyari explained that the ministry had reviewed existing agricultural programmes and initiatives to realign them with the core mandates of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS).
“Accordingly, the ministry has rolled out several programmes and projects to address the challenges faced by farmers while ensuring that food remains available, accessible, and affordable to all Nigerians.
“As part of our short-term intervention measures, we have designed support mechanisms to make essential farm inputs more affordable and accessible to farmers under a transparent and accountable system,” he said.
He noted that the intervention meant increasing national food production and stabilising food availability and prices.
He added that the administration remained committed to developing agriculture in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In his remarks, the State Coordinator of the ministry, Mr Sunday Ojo, said the intervention was designed to empower smallholder farmers, increase agricultural productivity, and strengthen resilience in local farming communities.
Ojo explained that agriculture remained the backbone of the state’s economy, with smallholder farmers forming most of its farming population.
He said providing them with improved seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals, and other essential inputs would boost yields, improve livelihoods, and contribute to the nation’s food basket.
He thanked the Federal Government for prioritising farmers’ welfare and urged beneficiaries to use the inputs well.
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON), and other stakeholders also commended the government for the intervention.
Some farm inputs distributed included Pesti Zyme, knapsack sprayers, water pumps, high-pressure sprayers, power tillers, dehydrators, and Ultimax Plus.
