The Federal Government said that it has assured a loan installation of 134 million dollars from the African Development Bank (AFDB) to help farmers boost the production of seeds and grains in the country, Nigeria news agency (NAN) reported.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, announced this at the inauguration of the National Agriculture of the Dry Station 2024/2025 in Calabar.
Kyari explained that with the reintroduction of national agriculture of the dry station to boost agricultural production throughout the year, the loan would be useful and guarantee national food security in the country.
He said the initiative was under the National Agricultural Project Growth Support Support Pocket (NAGS-AP).
He pointed out that the federal government had declared an emergency in food production to allow all Nigerians to have easy access to nutritional and quality food at affordable prices.
The minister also said that the Government plans to use the agricultural sector for the national economic rebirth through the increase in the production of some basic food crops such as wheat, rice, corn, sorghum, soybeans and cassava during agriculture of the dry and wet season.
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He added that no less than 107,429 wheat farmers have been supported under phase 1 of the Dry Station 2023/2024, and 43,997 rice farmers under the second phase of the Seca Station 2023/2024.
He explained that recently, the Government supported 192,095 rice farmers, corn, sorghum/millet and soy Yyyy Yacsava under the wet season of 2024 in the 37 states, including the FCT.
He said Cross River led another 16 states in wheat production, adding that more than 3000 wheat farmers have been included to benefit from support to cultivate grain.
Kyari said this reported why the federal government was associating with the State to initiate the production of inaugural wheat and enlist them between the states that begin the current agriculture of the Dry Station 2024/2025.
“In the agriculture of the Dry Station 2024/2025, the project is objective to support 250,000 wheat farmers in wheat producing states with subsidized agricultural supplies.
“250,000 hectares of land will be cultivated with an expected production of approximately 750,000 metric tons of wheat, which will be added to the food reserve to reduce dependence on product importation and also increase national consumption.
“The program will also provide support to 150,000 rice farmers under the second phase to cover all 37 states, including the FCT, with an expected production of approximately 450,000 metric tons,” he said.
In the agricultural mechanization program, the minister revealed that the Economic Council received information and approved the Hope Greenst Mechanization Consortium, which is a ten -year program for a total of one billion dollars in investments.
He said that the consortium was expected to establish 1000 agricultural centers with service providers throughout the country.
He also said that the centers were also expected to involve about 600,000 young people, providing 2000 per year tractors over the next five years.
The minister also said that the Government had begun the sale of 30,000 metric tons of ground rice to the Nigerians to subsidized rates from N40,000 per 50 -kilogram bag, and added that the year would be carried out throughout the country.
“It is expected that with the injection of 30,000 metric tons (1000 trucks of 30mt each of this important basic food in the food balance of Nigeria, not only will block the price of rice but also other substitutes for nearby and alternative foods,” he said.