Dry Season Farming: FG to cultivate 70,000 hectares of wheat

 

The Federal Government (FG) has announced that it will cultivate 70,000 hectares across the wheat production zones of the country with an expected yield of 875,000 metric tonnes for National Food Reserve.

Senator Abubakar Kyari,  Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS) revealed this on Friday in Abuja at a media briefing on the way forward for Nigerian Agriculture towards the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu's administration.

Kyari said the implementation of the dry season wheat production, which would commence in November was part of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) projects funded by the African Development Bank.

Under this scheme, he said, the blending of appropriate fertilizers to support the dry season farming as well as providing Train-the-Trainers for the extension agents in collaboration with wheat producing states and other partners such as flour mills would commence in earnest.

The minister also disclosed that arrangements are at advanced stage for dry season farming of rice, maize and other horticultural crops, adding that preparations were in top gear against next month with certification of available planting materials in readiness.

He said that the ministry would play host to National Agriculture and Food Security Summit in November just as the council meeting will take place the same month in Cross River for agricultural implementation action plan for food security.

He pointed out that the mandate and operations of the Ministry would align with the four priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President which include food security, economic growth and job creation, poverty eradication inclusivity for youths and women with the creation of an enabling environment for viable agribusiness.

Kyari assured that President Tinubu had demonstrated total political will to transform the food system sector by changing the name of the mandate ministry to FMAFS with making the food security one of the topmost priorities agenda.

Kyari, who enumerated some of the new initiatives he intends to pursue in the next four years saying that the Ministry would make “significant investment in animals feed-crop, fodder and pasture production as an antidote to the farmers and herders clashes by focusing on the development of paddocks, foliage and fodder estates equipped with necessary facilities for all year round production; strengthen agriculture and food security institutions and repositioning them for the tasks ahead;

“Reform the National Agricultural Research System to serve as the engine of growth for innovative solutions to strategic value chains, increase productivity -yields of our food security and export crops, livestock, and fisheries;

“Establish two new national gene bank facilities, each for crop and animal respectively to conserve our fast-eroding genetic resources for food security.

“Fast-track the take-off and operations of the National Agricultural Development Fund;

“Develop a National Framework for proper coordination and alignment of all ongoing and future development partners’ projects to our national priorities.

“Develop innovative communication, monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability platforms that guarantees continuous interface among all the critical stakeholders to ensure 24/7 engagements and field reporting. ICT tools will be deployed to support these platforms for the facilitation of e-extension services at scale. 

"Develop a stakeholder Engagement and Communication Strategy for Agriculture and Food Security;

“Develop a new strategy for strengthening agricultural infrastructure and provision of support to our new farm types (which shall be unveiled before the end of the year);

“Prepare a Joint Action Plan with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to unlock the huge irrigation potentials of the River Basins Development Authorities and other flood plains in the country to guarantee all year round food production, among others”

The minister, however, noted that the current state of food security is threatened by issues of food availability, accessibility, affordability as well as climate change.

According to him, “The underlying challenges noted above call for innovative and trending solutions which are better understood when we recount the challenges of insecurity, youth unemployment, and our increasing population and attendant competition for the same prime agriculture land for mass housing schemes and other competing developmental projects.

“Nigeria is expected to reach 400 million by 2050; which is just around the corner.

“All these challenges require not just a change in tactics and approach but injection of new knowledge, innovations, skills, techniques, technology and value orientation.”