Agriculture Ministry distributes palliatives to small-holder farmers in Gombe

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has flagged off the distribution of 14 Agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers in Gombe State, as part of the Federal Government’s intervention to reduce the effect of Covid-19 Pandemic on agricultural production in Nigeria and avert food scarcity in 2021.

The inputs distributed in Gombe are 2.5 metric tons of groundnuts foundation seeds, 5 thousand gum Arabic seedlings, 15 metric tons of rice seeds, 1, 500 kilograms of cashew nuts, equipment such as Water Pumps, Maize Thresher, Winnowers, Drip Irrigation facilities, Planters, Weeder, among others, as well as 1, 000 kilograms of Castor Seeds, 1, 500 kilograms of Cashew Seeds, Ratkin and Liptol organic insecticides to combat army worm infestation.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Malam Mustapha Baba Shelhuri said the distribution became necessary due to the effect of the restrictions put in place in 2020 to curtail the spread of Coiv-19.

He said the effect was enormous on food supply chains, incomes and livelihoods across the country.

Most vulnerable
Malam Shelhuri said it had become imperative for the government to support smallholder farmers, who were the most vulnerable during the lockdown.

According to him, “the farmers need the inputs, especially seeds, which was the most important factor that influenced farmers’ yield and enabled them to recover quickly from the setback caused by the pandemic.”

Malam Shelhuri said with the gesture, the government’s efforts at reducing the impact of the Covid-19 and flood on the affected farmers, which would ultimately increase farmers’ resilience and national food systems in general.

The Agric Minister of State said the 35% of the distribution targeted women farmers and urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the inputs to produce food for the nation.

Enhancing farming
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for the intervention in the state, which he said were all geared towards enhancing farming in the state and in the country as a whole.

He called on the beneficiaries, especially the youths, who constitute 65% of the population, to make use of the intervention for the production of food and their meaningful engagement in the state.

Governor Yahaya called for more synergy between the state and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to help meet up the demands of the people of the state and enhance their wellbeing.

Lateefah Ibrahim