The federal government, on Saturday, distributed agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers in Kano to boost all year-round  farming and enhance national food security.

At the distribution programme in Kano, the minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari, said the initiative aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Kyari was represented by Yarima Uba, director, Department of Horticulture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

He said the distribution was part of government’s effort to address food insecurity and support farmers to increase productivity.

According to Mr Kyari, the government has implemented several interventions, including economic reforms and emergency responses, to mitigate the country’s food crisis.

“It is the resolve of the present administration to attain the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially zero hunger, while also mitigating the food crisis in the country.

“The federal government declared a state of emergency on food security in July 2023, demonstrating its political will to transform the agricultural sector and make food security a top priority,” he said.

He explained that the ministry adopted short-term support mechanisms to make essential farm inputs more affordable and accessible to farmers through a transparent and accountable process.

“Our foremost concern is the facilitation of agro-inputs and basic farm machinery to small-scale farmers, who are constrained by the high market cost of these essential inputs and thus, need assistance” he said. 

Mr Kyari said the inputs distributed include power tillers, herbicides, liquid fertilisers, knapsack sprayers and water pumps, among others.

He said the items were distributed to farmers through commodity associations, cooperative groups, farmers with special needs and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to enhance food production.

Mr Kyari noted that smallholder farmers constituted about 90 per cent of Nigeria’s farming population, adding that supporting them would significantly boost food production nationwide.

He said the programme was ongoing in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

Mr Kyari urged beneficiaries to use the inputs judiciously, stressing that the items were provided free to improve productivity and achieve national food security goals.

Also speaking, the Kano State commissioner of agriculture and natural resources, Danjuma Mahmoud, commended the federal government for the initiative.

Mr Mahmoud, who was represented by Ibrahim Aliyu, director, commercial, Kano State Ministry of Agriculture, said the support would encourage farmers who had suffered losses to return to farming and sustain food production.

In her remarks, the state director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Kano, Rukayya Abdulkadir-Tunau, advised farmers to strictly adhere to safety guidelines when using agricultural chemicals.

She urged famers to follow international best practices and use protective gear to prevent health hazards and environmental pollution.

Mrs Abdulkadir-Tunau said about 70 farmers’ associations were expected to benefit from the distribution, adding that more than 800 farmers would directly benefit from the programme.

The Kano coordinator of Small-Scale Women Farmers, Dije Ibrahim-Tudunwada, commended the  government for the gesture, and urged beneficiaries to use the inputs responsibly and always wear protective masks when applying insecticides.

Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, Murtala Musa, who is physically challenged, commended the federal government for including vulnerable groups in the distribution.

Mr Musa said the intervention would improve their livelihoods and called for sustained inclusion of persons with disabilities in future agricultural support programmes.

He said such initiatives had enhanced food production among beneficiaries, noting that he recorded up to 200 bags of rice and other produce annually.

(NAN)