The minister of agriculture and food security, Abubakar Kyari, on Monday, assured farmers of credit facilities to boost agricultural production in the country.

He gave the assurance at a one-day public hearing held in Abuja, organised by the Senate committee on agriculture production services and rural development.

The hearing was on three bills; “Cassava Flour (Mandatory Inclusion into Flour Production) (Establishment) Bill, 2023.

“The National Food Reserve Agency and for Related Matters and Rice Development Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill 2024”.

Mr Kyari, who expressed joy over the crash in the prices of food items, said that the ministry would look for mechanisms to tackle the high costs of farm inputs.

“I’m happy with the crash of prices, but it’s the inputs that we are working on, like fertiliser, irrigation and all that.

“We are trying to find mechanisms where farmers will have access to credit and, at the same time, cheaper products.

“Prices have crashed and consumers are happy but I know farmers are not happy with it. Now, what we are trying to do is to try to balance the welfare of the population and the welfare of the farmers.

On post-harvest losses recorded, Mr Kyari said they have already made a legacy project on the post-harvest losses, which includes storage at the community level.

“Not the silos that we have that are situated in urban areas, but in the community levels. This is what we are driving at.

“We want to make a new harvest silo programme that 85 per cent of the storage will be at those farming community levels to replace those local mud silos,” he said.

He disclosed that Nigeria’s annual demand for maize is about 25 million tons.

Chairman of the committee, Sen. Saliu Mustapha, said the bills have successfully scaled the second reading in the Senate.

“They now stand before us for your invaluable scrutiny and contribution”.

Mr Mustapha, who also sponsored the bill on cassava flour (Mandatory Inclusion into Flour Production), said the bill sought to blend our abundant cassava into wheat production.

According to him, the measure will reduce N5 billion annual wheat importation, creating jobs for our teaming unemployed youth and improving the living standard of smallholder farmers.

On his part, secretary, Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Adeyemi Conion, who supported the bill, said that “it is long overdue”.

He said that the bill, when passed, would create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths.

President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Aminu Goronyo, said that the bill should explicitly support state-level consultation before individual council decisions are made.

Mr Goronyo was represented by his special adviser, Muhammad Alibaba.

He said: “We are recommending the introduction of a cross-border mechanisation and system of improving programmes supported by the council in partnership with the local fabricators and private investors”.

(NAN)