Ministry: FG To Distribute 42,000Mt Of Grains Nationwide After Bagging

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains approved by President Bola Tinubu for distribution to poor Nigerians are at the bagging process.

Mr Sule Haruna, Director, Food and Strategic Reserve Department (FSRD), Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja.

He reaffirmed presidency’s statement that the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains it promised for nationwide release were being bagged for distribution to vulnerable Nigerians.

“Bagging of the grains is in progress; it has to go through a process before distribution to beneficiaries; if you do not bag, how do you distribute?

“You have to bag them before distribution.’’

He said that the grains to be distributed included millet, sorghum, maize, garri as well as other commodities from silos in the country.

On when the distribution of grains would commence, Haruna said the minister would decide.

“If I tell you this is the time or day that the distribution will commence and the minister says otherwise, what then?” he said.

He, however, said that newsmen would be invited to witness the commencement of distribution of grains.

The director said that beneficiaries of the 42,000 metric tonnes of grains were ordinary Nigerians from each of the 774 Local Government Areas of the federation.

President Bola Tinubu had on Feb. 8 directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to release about 42,000MT of maize, millet and other commodities from the national strategic reserves to address the rising cost of food in Nigeria.

NAN/Oyenike Oyeniyi