The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has commenced the distribution of agro inputs and equipment to hundreds of small-scale farmers in Ebonyi State to boost food production all year round.
At the event in Abakaliki, the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to work closely with non-governmental organisations and the private sector to enhance food security, economic growth, and poverty reduction.
Represented by the Head of the Department of Information in the Ministry, Ikemefuna Ezeaja, the Minister stated that the beneficiaries captured under commodity associations, cooperative groups, farmers with special needs, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) reflected the political will of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to prioritize food security. “This category of farmers that benefited from the input distribution is a strong demonstration of government’s resolve to ensure Nigerians have food security,” he said.
The Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Ebonyi State, Dr William Obazi, explained that the distribution of inputs and machinery through organized associations was designed to strengthen the input value chain. He added that farmers who could not access the present 2024 input distribution exercise would be accommodated in the 2025 programme.
Two beneficiaries, Princess Comfort Ifesinachi, National Coordinator of the She Grows Her Food Initiative, and Chinedu Nwigwe, representing Chiamaka Cooperative Society, expressed joy over the support. They noted that the provision of equipment would encourage them to embrace all-year-round farming and increase food supply in the state.
They also appealed to the federal government to expand the programme to reach indigent farmers, especially those in remote communities who may not be part of any organized associations but still require assistance to improve their agricultural productivity.