.The Tinubu administration by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Meals Safety is within the closing phases of releasing 42,000 metric tonnes of varied meals commodities to assist the susceptible inhabitants throughout the nation.
The grains in seven places of strategic reserve, at the moment are being bagged for onward supply to the Nationwide Emergency Administration Company (NEMA). The necessity to bag the grains, triggered the delay as the luggage had been freshly ordered by authorities.
Nigerians won’t have to pay for the grain luggage, as they’re free.
This will likely be complemented by the 60,000 metric tonnes of milled rice to be bought by the federal authorities from the Mega Rice Millers.
Already, with the announcement of the upcoming releases of meals commodities from the Strategic Reserve, there’s a noticeable discount in commodity costs throughout main grains markets within the nation, Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, stated
The federal authorities can also be ramping up meals manufacturing by boosting Dry Season Farming beneath the Nationwide Agricultural Development Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) Undertaking .
The primary section of the Dry Season Farming was launched in November, 2023.
It focuses on the cultivation of wheat throughout 15 wheat-producing states, masking 118,657 hectares and involving 107,429 farmers.
“The fields are inexperienced now and harvest will start in a matter of weeks”, Mr Kyari stated.
“There are incredible stories of development of wheat from Jigawa State, which is now focusing on harvest from about 50,000 hectares, 10,000 hectares greater than initially allotted beneath the programme.
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Section 2 of the Dry Season Farming will start quickly, throughout all 36 states of Nigeria and FCT.
It would cowl rice, maize, and cassava.
“For rice, the goal is 250,000 hectares involving 500,000 farmers with the anticipated output of 1 million metric tons of paddy rice.
“For maize, we’re cultivating 55,000 hectares with 110,000 farmers thereby including 165,000 metric tons to nationwide maize manufacturing whereas for cassava, we’re doing 35,000 hectares with 70,000 farmers to supply 525,000 metric tons of cassava.
“The NAGS-AP Undertaking provides a 50 per cent subsidy. Nevertheless, the federal authorities is offering further assist for Section 2, which can convey combination subsidy to about 93 per cent to farmers cultivating the crops.
“Additionally numerous governors are displaying robust assist, to additional improve the subsidy. Moreover, solar-powered water pumps for irrigation, supplied by the federal authorities, are being deployed to assist the upcoming section of the programme.”
