Senator Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, has disclosed plans to launch the second phase of the Dry/Wet Season farming intervention this month, aiming to elevate agricultural productivity in Nigeria further.
The announcement came during a courtesy visit by Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State to the Minister’s office in Abuja on Friday, January 5th, 2024.
The Minister highlighted the visit as a testament to the robust collaboration between the State and the Federal Government to fortify food security and advance agriculture in Nigeria.
Senator Abubakar praised Governor Namadi for Jigawa State’s commendable achievements in land preparation and the distribution of agricultural inputs for the ongoing wheat Dry Season Farming under the NAGS-AP programme.
Recalling a previous event on November 25th, 2023, where the official flag-off of the 2023/2024 Dry Season Farming took place in Hadejia, Senator Abubakar acknowledged the warm reception extended by Governor Namadi and the Emir of Hadejia to the Ministry’s Management Staff at the Kadume farm cluster.
Expressing gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering support, the Minister emphasized the Ministry’s focus on leveraging technology and mechanization to scale up staple crop production, aligning with pursuing food security goals.
However, Senator Abubakar highlighted specific challenges, including reported round-tripping in collusion with agro-dealers and inadequate validation of farmers’ data in some participating states.
He emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to addressing these issues, ensuring transparent distribution of resources to authentic farmers during the upcoming Dry/Wet season farming for rice, maize, and cassava.
His words: “It is imperative for us to tackle some of the challenges observed and ensure that they do not impede our agricultural development agenda”.
“These challenges include reported cases of round-tripping in connivance with agro-dealers and poor validation of farmers’ data in parts of the participating states.”
Encouraging stakeholders in the agricultural sector to overcome these challenges, Senator Abubakar stressed the importance of a successful intervention despite time constraints.
In response, Governor Namadi expressed gratitude for the support extended to Jigawa State and affirmed the commitment to collaborate with the Ministry to enhance food security.
He acknowledged the challenges faced, particularly in selecting the right farmers, and pledged to update the farmers’ register for rice cultivation during the forthcoming dry season farming.
The Governor also outlined plans to issue certificates to farmers, incorporating their passport photographs and farmland locations, aiming to provide comprehensive guidance to farmers across the State.
