Food Security: FG Flags Off National Agricultural Scheme 

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

No fewer than 60,000 farmers in five states will benefit from the Federal Government Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme-Phase One(ATASP-1) as part of the effort to tame the current challenges of food security in the country.

During the flag-off ceremony at Bunkere Local Government Area of Kano, the Permanent Secretary,  Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, said farmers from Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Niger and Sokoto states are to benefit from the programme.

The Permanent Secretary, who was represented by the Ministry’s Director, Planning and Policy Coordination, Mallam Tanimu Ibrahim, said 60,000 farmers were given fertilisers, seeds, pesticides at highly subsidised rate.

Dr Umakhihe said that the programme was structured into three key deliverables – infrastructural development, commodity value chain development and programme management and coordination.

“The event is very important for us as a ministry because we recognize that the drive for improved agricultural production cannot be attained without a guaranteed access to quality agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, seeds and pesticides whose distribution in the ATASP-1 project is being launched today,” he said.

 According to him, the  global challenges of COVID-19 and insecurity and the apparent food insecurity informed the Government to restructure ATASP-1 to provide an initial funding for the implementation of NAGS-AP with the primary objective of improving production and productivity of staple food crops to mitigate the food insecurity situation of the nation.

“The objective of NAGS-AP is synonymous with the objectives of ATASP-,1, which are: to ensure attainment of food and nutrition security, contribute to employment generation and wealth creation of the targeted beneficiaries along rice, sorghum and cassava value chains on sustainable basis, attract private sector investments in agriculture,” he said.

 In his speech, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf disclosed that ATASP-1 is a federal government programme funded by the African Development Bank(AfDB) whose objective is improving food and nutrition security and attracting private sector investment in agriculture.

“The rest are reducing post-harvest losses, adding value to local agricultural produce and enhancing access by farmers and other value chain actors to financial services, among others,” he said.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, explained that the benefiting communities are from Bunkere Rano, Bagwai, Dawakin Kudu, Bebeji and Garun Malam Local Government Areas of the state.

He said major implements and other farming inputs such as fertilisers, seeds and agrochemicals would be given to the beneficiaries.

He added that the inputs would be distributed to the beneficiaries through ICT-Based delivery platform, which he said would immensely increase productivity and household incomes, as well as contribute towards bridging the national food gaps.

The redemption areas in the state, he said, were the headquarters of the six participating Local Government Areas  and that the farm inputs would be distributed to the beneficiaries at 80 per cent subsidy.