LEADERSHIP NEWS
The Federal Government on Thursday announced a $134 million loan obtained from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support farmers enhance food production.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari who disclosed this, stated that the loan would play a crucial role in strengthening Nigeria’s food security drive.
At the launch of the 2024/2025 National Dry Season Farming initiative in Calabar, the Cross River State, the minister emphasised that the reintroduction of national dry season farming aims to facilitate year-round agricultural productivity.
The project is part of the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP).
According to a statement issued by the ministry in Abuja, the initiative seeks to ensure that all Nigerians have affordable access to nutritious food.
“The government also intends to leverage agriculture as a driving force for economic revival by increasing the production of staple crops such as wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava across both dry and wet farming seasons”, the statement noted.
The minister also revealed that in the 2023/2024 dry season alone, 107,429 wheat farmers received support under the first phase of the project, followed by 43,997 rice farmers under the second phase.
Most recently, he added that 192,095 farmers growing rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava were supported in the 2024 wet season across all 37 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Kyari lauded Cross River State for its leadership in wheat production, noting that the state is at the forefront among 16 other states in this sector.
He acknowledged the Cross River Government’s dedication to wheat farming, which led to its inclusion in the initial phase of the 2024/2025 dry season initiative.
