Authority of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has put every measure on ground to ensure that farmers in the Territory enjoy bumper harvest this season.
Accordingly, with all the robust plans put on ground, the Authority is optimistic that farmers will record a bumper harvest in the FCT this cropping season.
The Acting Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, of the FCT, Mallam Ishaq Abubakar Sadeeq, gave this assurance during a visit to Agric Warehouses in the six Area Councils of FCT.
Sadeeq said that the visit was to also monitor the distribution of assorted Agricultural inputs that were procured by the FCT Administration to bolster Agricultural production in the 2023 farming season.
According to him, the intervention by the FCT Administration was part of its strategies to reposition the Agricultural sector towards realizing the objective of achieving self-sufficiency in food production, increase agricultural earnings and creating opportunities to facilitate the growth of Agricultural value chains and jobs for teeming population of the FCT.
His words, “The FCT Administration is hoping that this intervention will help to ensure that farmers, particularly at the grassroot levels have access to critical inputs at affordable rates, which is sold at 50% subsidy.
“We have tried to expand the scope of our distribution outreach to include: Agro-based Cooperative groups, Area Councils, the 17 FCT Chiefdoms, Organized women Farmers Associations, the less privileged as well as individual farmers. For the first time, we have included the ‘Sarkin ‘Nomas in all the 62 wards of the FCT,” he added.
He further disclosed that the Secretariat has already distributed about 75% of the inputs since the exercise started in June; stressing that the FCT Fertilizer Distribution Committee has put in place adequate measures to ensure that the beneficiaries are adequately catered for.
“We are not unaware of the tendency of sharp practices in the distribution process, which is why the FCT Administration ensured that some of the inputs are customized with the FCT Insignia. The Committee is also expected to enlighten beneficiaries and also work with Abuja Market Management officials to be on the look out in their markets for illegal sales of the inputs,” the Secretary said.
Also speaking, the Director Agric Services in the Secretariat Mrs. Francesca Ihekandu disclosed that extension agents of the Secretariat have been deployed to the farming communities to provide guidance to farmers on the proper application of the fertilizers particularly the Agro-chemicals.
The Agric Secretariat she added has in line with its responsibilities taken proactive measures to tackle the issues of pest infestation and post harvest losses.
“some of the Agro-chemicals we have given to the farmers if properly applied will help prevent attacks of pests while the Secretariat will also buy off exercise grains to beef up its buffer stock programme,” Ihekandu said.
In their responses, some of the beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the FCT Administration for the support. The AMAC representative and Head of Agric Department, Mr. Abdullahi Adamu the intervention as timely and assured that the products will be disbursed to the real farmers in the Area Council.
Mallam Zakari Adamu who spoke on behalf of of the Sarkin Nomas of FCT revealed that this was the first time that they have been considered for direct allocation, assuring that as representative of farmers in the 62 wards they will make judicious use of the products.
