FG Reaffirms Commitment to Achieve National Food Security
Gilbert Ekugbe
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, (FMARD), Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, has emphasised the commitment of the Ministry to attaining national food security.
Umakhihe said that the ministry has mapped out strategic policies such as the Agriculture for Food and Jobs Plan (AFJP), the Green Imperative, Agricultural Promotion Policy, NATIP as well as the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) among others.
He stated this during the flag off the distribution of free agricultural inputs and quality seeds in in Benin City, Edo State.
The permanent secretary said that the distribution of agricultural inputs would enhance food and nutrition security, economic growth and job creation, especially during the Post COVID-19 era.
The event featured distribution of equipment such as food dehydrator, motorised oil palm harvester, cashew cracker, three HP water pump, knapsack sprayers, agro chemicals, growth enhancers, power tillers, cassava stems, planters and cassava processing equipment among others.
Umakhihe said: “The smallholders are the most vulnerable in times of crisis, it become imperative for the federal government to support them with the much-needed inputs especially seeds, which is the most important factor that influences farmers’ yield in order to enable them to recover quickly from the set back of the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of the insecurity.”
He revealed that 35 per cent of the inputs were targeted at women farmers and processors in line with the targets set in the National Gender Plan and Policies (NGPP) aimed at ensuring increased opportunities for women.
“Similarly, 10 per cent is targeted at persons with special needs and this has been communicated to the Farmers’ associations to act accordingly,” he said.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Food Security, Edo State, Mr. Stephen Idehenre, stated that these initiatives were designed to provide critical support to smallholder farmers in the state, leverage land assets towards driving development and diversify the economy with a focus on sustaining food security.
Earlier, in his goodwill message, the Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Edo Chapter, Mr. Bako Dogo, commended the federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari for its progressive and pragmatic policies in the agriculture sector, which is geared towards diversification of the economy, increased production and income for farmers in the country.
One of the beneficiaries, a physically challenged farmer, Mr. Efosa Baldwin, thanked the ministry for the free agricultural inputs and pledged to make judicious use of the inputs.
