By Grace Samuel
The federal government has announced that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is close to distributing 42,000 metric tonnes of different food items to assist needy Nigerians.
According to Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is currently packaging the grains in strategic reserve locations using newly purchased bags.
Nigerians will receive the grain bags for free, along with 60,000 metric tonnes of milled rice purchased by the Federal Government from the Mega Rice Millers, according to the official.
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The Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, noted that the announcement of the upcoming distribution of food supplies from the strategic reserve has led to a notable decrease in commodity prices at the nation’s main grain markets.
Onanuga has mentioned that the government is increasing food production by enhancing dry-season farming through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) project.
The initial stage of the dry season farming initiative began in November 2023. The government’s plan includes a specific emphasis on growing wheat in 15 wheat-producing states, covering 118,657 hectares and engaging 107,429 farmers.
Kyari mentioned that the fields in Jigawa State are flourishing, with wheat harvest expected to begin in a few weeks from a larger area than originally planned.
He also stated that the next phase of the dry season farming, which includes rice, maize, and cassava, will soon start in all regions of Nigeria and the FCT.
