FG plans support for farmers, projects 31million MT grains

The production of 31 million metric tonnes of grains in 2024 is going to combat food inflation, create jobs and reduce poverty, the Federal Government stated on Wednesday.

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued by his ministry in Abuja.

He was quoted as saying, “Nigeria’s seed requirement/need for five major crops: rice, maize, wheat, soybeans and sorghum in 2024 is 312,555.69MT, which is expected to give almost 31 million MT of grains.”

The minister said the Ministry had outlined a series of critical pathways to solve the food security challenges in Nigeria, adding that these pathways were streamlined into short-term, intermediate and long-term actions.

“One immediate priority is the certification of available planting material for some food security crops in the dry season farming of 2023/2024, which we flagged off in Jigawa State last Saturday,”  Abdullahi stated.

He said the ministry was targeting over 70,000 hectares for wheat production, under the support of the Africa Development Bank and National Agricultural Growth Scheme and AgroPocket Scheme project.

Abdullahi said farmers were being supported with quality seeds for rice, maize and soybean, as well as the provision of other inputs at subsidised rates.

“Pasture seeds development, fodder and foliage estates that will gradually eliminate farmers and herders clashes, and the creation of gene bank facilities are also short-term interventions that the administration is pursuing,” he stated.