The federal government says it has empowered about 50,000 smallholder farmers in Gombe and Jigawa to encourage agricultural productivity and achieve food security.

Anyim Joseph, Gombe State coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), said this while reviewing the activities of the ministry on Saturday in Gombe.

Mr Joseph said that the ministry had provided farmer support services for the 2026 rainfed and dry season activities as part of President Bola Tinubu’s strategy on food security.

He said that the programme was designed to enhance farmers’ access to inputs, mobilise participation and boost crop production.

The coordinator said that the government had distributed fertilisers, seeds and chemicals to 10,000 farmers this cropping season.

Mr Joseph said that the ministry equally shortlisted 12,000 farmers for the dry season rice and wheat cultivation programme in the state.

“We shortlisted 12,000 farmers for the dry season intervention programme, and we are awaiting approval to begin distribution of the inputs to them,” he said.

Mr Joseph said that the Tinubu administration had been investing a lot of resources to revolutionise the agricultural sector, hence the series of interventions.

“Many inputs and implements have been distributed to the farmers including power tillers and solar-powered irrigation equipment.

“As part of the support, the dam construction in Balanga is underway, it will provide fishing opportunities, encourage irrigation activities and create jobs, to ensure food security,” he said.

According to Mr Joseph, the interventions aim at empowering farmers with modern farming skills and enhancing wealth creation so that they can exit the poverty line in rural communities.

He said that the interventions impacted positively on the lives of peasant farmers, especially on how they feed, dress and their ability to engage in petty trades to sustain their families.

Mr Joseph highlighted that the jobs created through the interventions extensively reduced criminality as more youths engaged in agriculture.

Embracing agriculture, he said, would divert their attention from idleness and criminal tendencies that could jeopardise their future.

The coordinator enjoined farmers to embrace the initiatives to improve the agricultural sector and boost food production by ensuring effective utilisation of the inputs.

Also, Sadeeq Ahmed, chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in the state, said that the Tinubu administration distributed over 200,000 bags of assorted fertilisers to 5,000 farmers this cropping season.

He said that the inputs were being distributed to the farmers in collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture (BoA).

The chairman said that the bank also introduced a Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) scheme to protect farmers against losses and address concerns about commodity pricing.

Mr Ahmed said that the federal government also set up warehouses and weighbridges to enhance proper measurement and preservation of agricultural produce.

He said that the gesture provided farmers with opportunities to sell their produce at a protected price and guard against losses at harvest.

He added that the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) had initiated free services such as land clearing, harrowing and harvesting for dry season farmers.

On livestock, Mr Ahmed lauded the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, adding that it would enhance coordination of the agricultural sector and address herder-farmer clashes in the country.

Similarly, Auwalu Isa, coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Jigawa, said that the Federal Government distributed 20,160 bags of fertilisers to 5,040 farmers under the 2026 Presidential Fertiliser Intervention.

He said that the allocation comprised 15,120 bags of NPK brand of fertilisers and 5,040 bags of urea.

“Each of the farmers got four bags of fertilisers,” he said.

Mr Isa said that about 3,040 farmers under AFAN received 12,160 bags of fertilisers, while another 2,000 farmers selected through the state government’s agencies received 8,000 bags of the commodity.

He said that the federal government also distributed equipment and farming implements to smallholder farmers in the state in 2025.

The coordinator said that the items included mini combine harvesters, power tillers, threshers, planters, motorised weeders, chemicals and organic fertilisers.

Mr Isa added that 2,000 date palm seedlings were distributed to farmers’ groups in Jigawa in 2025.

To cushion food inflation, Isa said that the federal government distributed 714 bags of maize flour to women’s cooperatives, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) and correctional centres in the state.

He said that women’s cooperatives and PWDs received 143 bags each, while IDPs received 285 bags and correctional facilities got 143 bags.

The coordinator said that the food items were distributed under the 2026 Renewed Hope National Accelerated Cassava Production Programme.

“Preliminary feedback from previous interventions indicated positive results, although the ministry is yet to compile its latest harvest report.

“From the reports we have gathered in the previous years, we can say that the government interventions are yielding good results,” he said.

(NAN)