The Minister of state, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Hon. Mustapha Baba Shehuri has distributed agricultural inputs to Bornu state small scale farmers as part of effort to mitigate impacts of 2020 covid- 19 pandemic disease and flood on food security. This was contained in a press release made available to the media on Monday this week.
These items given to farmers according to the press release includes; certified Rice seeds - faro 44(24MT), Maize foundation seed (15MT), Cashew nuts (1,5MT) Groundnut foundation (2.5MT),Cashew seeds (1.5MT), Castor foundation (1MT), 3HP irrigation water pumps among others
In the stated, Shehuri commended the effort of the farmers in ensuring food security pointed that they were only operating on a very significant plots of land to ensure all year round producing basic food and cash crops to contribute over 80% to the national food supply.
The statement credited to President Buhari that smallholder farmers must be supported with seeds, agro chemicals and small agro equipment to rekindle their hope and accelerate recovery from the economic loss during the period of the pandemic.
In the statement, the minister reiterated the commitment of the ministry towards making the country self sufficient in food production through appropriate inputs distribution on subsidy that ranges from 50% to 100% saying that “this initiative to a large extent has helped the farmers to increase their profits and earn income to families economically”
He pointed further “it should be noted that this is 3rd in the series of the distribution of the Ministry's palliative incentives to farmers in the North East after Gombe and Bauchi states that were just concluded last week. So far 12 states have benefitted nationwide with quality Inputs to sustain the food production, create jobs and the grow the economy from rural base"
The Executive Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, in the statement through the Chief of Staff, Prof. Isa Hussein, lauded the agricultural policies and visionary leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari in the sector, thereby advising farmers to make judicious use of the Inputs strictly for farming.
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