FAO seeks $62 million to boost agriculture in North-East

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has appealed to the UN to release $62 million  to support wet-season farming in the north -eastern part of the country.

This appeal was made by the Acting FAO Country Representative in Nigeria, during a news conference in Maiduguri.

According to him “In 2017, FAO is asking for $62 million, under the Humanitarian Response Plan, for Nigeria. Of this, $20 million is urgently required to reach 1.9 million people during the upcoming main planting season that will start in June 2017.”

“Missing this season will mean food insecurity and, therefore humanitarian costs will continue to rise into 2018. FAO’s dry season campaign is ongoing, with 174,400 people receiving vegetables seeds, irrigation equipment and livestock support”, he said.

“A combination of food assistance and food production support is the only way to address the scale of hunger facing the people of north – eastern Nigeria”.

Tall maintained that $20 million, out of the expected funds, would be used to support wet season farming in the areas, with a focus on 1.9 million people, during the upcoming planting season that would start in June.

He said $20 million dollars will be used to support wet season farming in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, while the remaining funds would be used to finance other humanitarian projects in the area.

The FAO country representative noted that the organisation in 2016, received about $7.2 million to fund agricultural activities in the north eastern part of the country.

He stated the organisations and countries that gave the support in 2016 as Belgium, the European Commision as well as Directorate -General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

He added that funds were also received from FAO’s internal resources, Irish Aid, Japan, United Nations Central Emergency Fund (UN-CERF), United Nations Women and World Food Programme (WFP).

“Missing the  main planting season will force many internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees and vulnerable host communities to rely on expensive and  challenging food assistance well into 2018.”

“This will have a broad negative impact on rising hunger, lack of economic and employment opportunities as well as possible harmful consequences, including youth radicalisation”, he explained.