The Federal Government has distributed free seeds and fertiliser to farmers in Cross River State as part of efforts to boost food production and support livelihoods.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to promoting partnerships with non-governmental organisations and the private sector to strengthen food security, economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction. He spoke in Calabar on Thursday during the distribution of farm inputs to farmers in the state.
Kyari, who was represented by Mr Bassey Iwara, Director of Agribusiness and Market Development in the ministry, said the present administration had shown strong political will to transform the agriculture sector. He noted that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration was implementing economic reforms aimed at stimulating productive capacity, creating jobs and reducing the cost of living for Nigerians.
He added that emergency responses and targeted humanitarian actions had also been introduced to address the current food crisis in the country. According to him, “Consequently, the ministry has rolled out many programmes and projects to address some of the challenges faced by farmers and to make food available, accessible and affordable to all Nigerians.
“The ministry has also considered the implementation of short-term plans and support mechanisms to make essential farm inputs more affordable and accessible to farmers through a transparent and accountable process.”
Kyari further stated that the major focus of the intervention was on small-scale farmers who struggle with the high cost of farm inputs. “Our foremost concern is the facilitation of agro-inputs and basic farm machinery for small-scale farmers, who are constrained by the high market cost of these essential inputs and therefore need assistance,” he said.
Also speaking, the state coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Ekori Nsan, said the administration had continued to put smiles on the faces of farmers, regardless of the scale of their operations. He urged beneficiaries to use the items for their intended purposes.
According to Nsan, “The era of collecting and selling or dumping these items is gone. A follow-up mechanism has been put.”
