* Nanono advises on challenges
The new minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar has assured Nigerians of a total transformation of the sector with proactive policies across the value chains to ensure food security.
Abubakar said this during the handover of the Agric Ministry to him yesterday Thursday by his predecessor, Alhaji Sabo Nanono who advised on proactive measures to be taken to reposition the food security challenges of the country.
New Minister pointed that livestock would be given priority to ensure food security and checkmate insecurity across the nation, adding that research and extension also will be strengthened for best agronomic practices.
He pointed that synergy between other agencies would also be enhanced to achieve the ministry's mandate on food security, just as he emphasized the need for local patronage of our Farmers' produce to enhance market and checkmate foods import.
Meanwhile, the outgoing minister has advised on how to tackle many challenges that confronted the sector under him saying " we have to change the farming pattern with the use of mechanization, we have to solve the problem of herders, and that is why we launched the National Livestock Transformation Plan. We have to support small-scale farmers and that's why the president gave the approval for N600 billion to support the farmers.
“We have managed to resolve the problem of fertilizer, finally you can go and buy fertilizer from any corner you want, there is a sufficient quantity of fertilizer in this country, the only issue is cost, the president has approved N3,000 per bag of fertilizer for small scale farmers.
“We managed to virtually stop the importation of rice, with several rice milling plants across the country, employing people, I hope we will do that for wheat, milk, fish and other crops" said Nanono.
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