FG Gives Free Agric Inputs, Equipment to Edo Small Holder Farmers

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

In order to address food crisis occasioned by insecurity, the  government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources distributed free farm inputs and equipment to Small Holder Farmers in Edo State.

In a keynote address and flag-off of the distribution in Benin City, capital of the state, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, said the move became necessary as a result of the crisis borne by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the rising insecurity and the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) which has made food security in Nigeria a growing problem.

Dr. Umakhihe also added that the recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine further contributed to the rising food crisis in the country and worsened both poverty and food insecurity in the nation.

According to the him, for the past seven years issues relating to food security had constituted a major focus of the policy thrust of the Nigerian government and formed part of the major Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which world leaders initially agreed to devote resources to actualise by 2015 but now shifted by 2030 with the aim to ensure no poverty and zero hunger.

He listed the items donated as food hydrators, motorised oil palm harvesters, cashew cracker, 3HP water pump, knapsack sprayers, agro chemicals and growth enhancers.

Others include power tillers, cashew and groundnut seeds, coconut and oil palm seedlings, cassava stems, planters, cassava processing equipment, seed yams, maize and cocoa seedlings among others.

“To address the food insecurity occasioned by the national insecurity, the Nigerian government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources came up with strategic policies such as the Agriculture for Food and Jobs Plan (AFJP), the Green Imperative Project, Agricultural Promotion Policy as well as the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) among others.

“Of recent is the distribution of inputs and equipment to Small Holder Farmers and processors of gratis. These policies are aimed at ensuring food security, economic growth and job creation,” he said.

Umakhihe further noted that the reason behind emphasis on small holder famers as beneficiaries of the free agro input and equipment is that they are the most vulnerable in times of crisis, hence, the imperative for government to support them with the much-needed inputs especially hybrid seedlings, which is the most important factor that influences farmer’s yields in order to enable them recover quickly from the setbacks such as COVID-19 pandemic and the effect of the insecurity.

He disclosed that in the input distribution efforts at least 35 per cent are targeted at women farmers’ and processors in line with the targets set in the federal government’s National Gender Plan and Policies aimed at ensuring increased opportunities for women, pointing out further that 10 per cent is targeted at persons with special needs which has been communicated to the farmers’ associations accordingly.

In his remarks, Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Stephen Ideheren, thanked the federal government for choosing Edo farmers as beneficiaries of the incentives to boost agriculture and ensure food security in the state, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic and insecurity were quite overwhelming.

Also, the Chairman, Edo State chapter of All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (ALFAN), Alhaji Bako Dogwo, while appreciating the efforts of the federal government for the free inputs and equipment, promised to judicious use of all that was given to them while asking for more of such incentives.