The Federal Government has pledged to support about 250,000 wheat farmers with a 50 percent input subsidy to cultivate about 250,000 hectares during this year’s dry season.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this during the flag-off of the 2023/2024 dry session farming under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-pocket Project at Kadume Village, Hadejia local government area, Jigawa State, yesterday.
He said the FG’s support for the wheat farmers is expected to produce over 1.2 million tonnes of wheat during the farming session.
“The dry season farming is an integral part of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and AgroPocket Project, made possible by a $134 million loan facility advanced to Nigeria by the African Development Bank (AfDB)”, he said.
According to him, the present administration under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, had resolved to expand the capacity of farmers to engage in the cultivation of key staples like rice, maize, cassava and wheat, across the country.
Kyari further gave the assurance that farmers would be given improved seeds that are heat-tolerant wheat varieties, like Borlaug 100 and Attila, among others, in addition to investing in irrigation infrastructure projects, in order to optimise water usage and mitigate the challenges posed by the dry season.
The Minister, therefore, called on farmers across the country to support the dry season farming initiative to usher in a new era of agricultural prosperity and ensure a brighter future for Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Jigawa State governor, Umar Namadi, commended the Federal Government for launching the Wheat Development Programme in the State, stressing that Jigawa is a leading producer of rice, sesame, and hibiscus, among many other crops.
“Jigawa State is the heart of wheat production in Nigeria; with the potential to provide up to 200,000 hectares for wheat production”, he stated.
