The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to empowering smallholder farmers to improve agricultural production and ensure availability of food to all Nigerians.
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A smallholder farmer is often characterised as a family farmer since many rely on relatives’ labour to meet production needs, and they typically retain a portion of their harvest for household consumption.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said this at the end of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), meeting on Saturday in Abuja.
The meeting was a stakeholders review and preparatory meeting for the implementation of the second phase 2023-2024 dry season farming in the country.
Kyari said that President Bola Tinubu, accorded priority to the agricultural sector purposely to produce adequate staple food to ensure food availability, accessibility and affordability to all citizens.
” Pursuant to this, Mr President declared emergency on food and nutrition security.
” The project (NAGS -AP), aside supporting farmers with critical farm inputs for the production of the priority crops, will also provide institutional support for better performances and sustainability particularly in the areas of wheat seeds local production.
“Overall, we aim to chart a course forward that ensures robust and sustainable production of staple food commodities across board.
“Therefore, beyond the evaluation of the wheat production phase, our collective gaze will be on the future as we lay the groundwork for the second phase of the NAGS-AP dry season farming support provision,” he said.
In a Goodwill message, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Chief Olawale Edun, said that the importance of agricultural sector could not be overemphasised.
He said that agriculture is one of the key sectors in the economy as it is the main objective of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Edun said that if there was abundant supply of food there would be a reduction in inflation that would also lead to reduction in poverty and creation of jobs and a much more stable economy.
On his part, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, said that the country had been blessed with capable ministers of agriculture to provide food security.
Bagudu, who said that the Federal Government had taken measures to ensure the country’ s economy was stable, assured that more interventions would come to help farmers in the country.
Also speaking, President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Kabir Ibrahim, said the country’s quest to achieve food security would be expedited through mechanisation farming system. NAN
