Nigeria: FG launches dry season farming initiative to tackle food inflation

In a decisive move to address the soaring rates of food inflation and respond to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s call for urgent action on food security, the Federal Government is set to inaugurate the 2023/2024 dry season farming initiative.

Scheduled for Saturday, November 25, the ceremony will be led by the Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, in Hadejia, Jigawa State.

With a commitment to easing the financial burden on farmers, the Federal Government will distribute a variety of subsidized agricultural inputs, including seeds, fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides, with a 50% subsidy.

The ambitious dry season farming program is supported by the African Development Bank through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) project.

This innovative initiative leverages ICT-driven methods, employing geo-location technology to identify and register over 250,000 farmers across the country.

The programme aims to cultivate irrigable land in all 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Crucially, the 2023/2024 dry season farming will focus on key crops such as wheat, sourced from Mexico, rice, maize, sorghum, soybeans, and cassava.

Wheat farmers can anticipate guaranteed off-take of their produce, courtesy of the Flour Millers Association of Nigeria.

Sen. Kyari, emphasizing the significance of this endeavor, describes the flag-off as a monumental step towards realizing the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The availability of agricultural inputs and machinery is expected to facilitate the cultivation of approximately one hundred and twenty thousand hectares across different regions of the country.

As the Federal Government takes this bold step, the nation eagerly anticipates the positive impact of the dry season farming initiative on food production, economic stability, and ultimately, the well-being of its citizens.