By Fatima Saka
Nigerian Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Thursday distributed farm inputs to smallholder farmers in Osun State.
Performing the roll out in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Mohamood Abubakar, explained that the Programme was designed to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19, enhance the farming family income, create jobs and generate wealth.
The minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr Ernest Umakhihe pointed out that Agriculture remained a priority of the President Mohammadu Buhari led administration, contributing about twenty five percent of the GDP with Small-holders farmers accounting for about seventy percent of national food production.
He further said this was achieved through the implementation of strategic policies such as the Agriculture for Food and Jobs Plan (AFJP), the Green Imperative. Agricultural Promotion Policy, as well as the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) among others.
Dr Mohamood urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of these inputs to produce food for the nation while calling on other stakeholders to provide similar support to small-holder farmers so that together the nation could become self-sufficient in food production.
Distributed to the farmers included 3,000 oil palm seedlings, 1,500 kg cashew seeds; 20,000 nos certified seed yams as well as 200 litres of pathaway organic growth enhancer. Others are 4,000 bundles of orange fleshed sweet potatoes; 3,000 bundles of cassava stems as well as various agricultural equipment and agro chemicals.
However, the Minister announced that “at least 35% of the inputs were targeted at women farmers in line with the National Gender Plan and Policies aimed at ensuring increased opportunities for women; while 15% are targeted at farmers with special needs.”
In his statement, the Osun State commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Adedayo Adewole commended the Federal Government’s support for small holder-farmers as again demonstrated in the distribution of free seedlings and farm inputs to the farmers.
Represented by the Coordinating Director of the Ministry, Mrs Gbemisola Fayoyin said the state government had provided such support and funds for farmers in strategic sectors of the Agriculture value chain.
In addition, Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Alhaji Sulaiman Araokanmi thanked the Federal government for the intervention.
Also Alhaji Araokanmi called for more supports, particularly in the area of Rice production, saying Osun State cultivate 52 different food crops.
