By Faridat Salifu
Agricultural waste recycling, agroforestry and the integration of crops, livestock and fisheries are at the centre of a new agriculture programme launched by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) as the council seeks to improve food production while promoting more sustainable farming systems.
The initiative, launched Thursday at Apo Town Hall to mark the beginning of the 2026 farming season, is themed “Integrated farming for all.”
AMAC Chairman, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, said the programme was designed to move farmers beyond crop production by encouraging them to combine different agricultural activities and create multiple sources of income from the same farming ecosystem.
“Our message is clear: every farmer matters, every community matters, and every productive hand has a role to play,” Maikalangu said.
The council’s integrated approach covers crop and livestock production, fisheries, agroforestry, resource recycling and food security.
Maikalangu said agricultural waste should be viewed as a resource that can be reused within farming systems rather than simply discarded.
The approach could allow farmers to link different activities, such as using crop residues within livestock production, incorporating organic materials into soil management and combining tree planting with agricultural production.
The council also distributed agricultural inputs to farmers as part of the programme.
The items included 375 knapsack sprayers, 65 cartons of agrochemicals, 35 irrigation pumping machines, 200 hoes, 100 cutlasses, 50 boots, 120 hand gloves and 30 wheelbarrows.
Farmers also received 58 cartons of organic fertiliser, 440 chick trays, 447 drinkers, 680 feeders and 10 fish pond trampolines.
The emphasis on organic fertiliser and resource recycling comes as farmers face rising production costs and growing pressure to improve soil productivity while maintaining agricultural output.
Maikalangu urged farmers to adopt modern farming methods and protect the environment, while encouraging young people to view agriculture as a business rather than only subsistence production.
He also called for greater participation of women across the agricultural value chain, including production, processing and marketing.
According to the council, the programme is intended to support food security while creating opportunities for employment, wealth creation and grassroots economic activity.
Acting Head of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Joseph Kambai, said officials would monitor the use of the inputs distributed to beneficiaries.
For farmers, access to production equipment remains an important part of the equation.
Chairman of Farmers in AMAC, Emmanuel Danladi, said the inputs would support farmers during the new season, but urged the council to also address farmer-herder conflicts affecting agricultural communities.
Such conflicts can restrict farmers’ access to farmland, damage crops and disrupt production activities.
Maikalangu said agricultural development would require collaboration between the council, farmers, traditional institutions, community leaders, private investors and development partners.
He said the council’s objective was to create an environment where farmers could produce more, add value to their products and access markets.
The 2026 programme therefore places agriculture within a broader system in which production, livestock, fisheries, tree planting and resource recovery are connected rather than treated as separate activities.
For AMAC, the test will be whether that integrated model can move beyond the distribution of inputs and translate into sustained production, reduced agricultural waste, stronger farmer incomes and improved food availability across the council.
