Smallholder Farmers Backbone of Nigeria Agricultural Sector – FG

The federal government of Nigeria says smallholders farmers remain the backbone of the country’s agricultural sector as they contribute significantly to national prosperity.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Temitope Fadeshemi, made this submission on Thursday at the training and empowerment of 250 farmers under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy, (NPRGS) in Abuja.

Fadeshemi identified empowerment of verified and validated farmers under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy, NPRGS, as a crucial initiative.

Represented by the Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Services, Mr Michael Brooks, the permanent secretary, charged participating farmers to see their role as paramount in shaping the trajectory of the nation’s agricultural success.

“This programme is not merely an investment in agriculture; it is an investment in the future of our nation.

“As we equip these farmers with the tools to enhance productivity, improve resilience, and embrace sustainable practices, we are laying the foundation for a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector.

“Let us embrace this opportunity to build a future where smallholder farmers are not just beneficiaries of progress but active contributors to our nation’s growth,” he said.

Earlier, the Head of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Deola Lordbanjou, said the inputs would boost the productivity of farmers.

He urged Nigerians to also do ‘backyard farming’ to ease pressure, saying it would go a long way to solve the problem of hunger in the land.

One of the beneficiaries, Elizabeth Oyerinde, expressed joy over the intervention and assistance given to smallholder farmers.

She promised to make use of the inputs in order to achieve the purpose they were given.

The farmers who were crop, poultry, and fish farmers received sprayers, pesticides, quality maize, rice, vegetables seeds, fish feeds, and poultry feeds.

NAN/Shakirat Sadiq