From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Poised to boost food production and create employment for the teeming youths, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has distributed farm inputs to farmers in Abia, Kebbi and Yobe States.
In February, NALDA had empowered farmers in Borno and Imo States with farm inputs worth millions of naira and with the support of the First Lady, Remi Tinubu.
This time, accredited beneficiaries of the empowerment received branded bags containing high grade fertilizer, herbicides and improved maize seeds for Abia and Yobe States, while Kebbi received improved rice seeds that can effectively cover half a hectare of farm land.
NALDA Executive Secretary, Prince Paul Ikonne, explained that the beneficiaries, who gathered at the agency’s Institute of Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship, IsiAla Okpu community in Osisioma Local Government Area, Abia State, to receive the packages from were drawn from different local governments.
He told the beneficiaries that, “The government is making sure that you can produce what you will eat by providing you inputs.
“The essence of what we’re doing here today is to ensure Nigerians understand the importance of farming, make sure we produce what we eat and to reduce the price of food in the market. We are expecting nothing less than 340 hectares to be cultivated by this farmers.”
Ikonne assured the farmers that NALDA would continue to support them with agricultural inputs on a regular basis.
According to him, the contact details of beneficiaries have been captured in the agency’s database for follow-up assistance and that more deserving farmers would be added to the list.
The NALDA CEO shed more light on the essence of the empowerment programme, which he said was a fulfillment of President Bola Tinubu’s promise to ensure that Nigerians get enough food at affordable prices.
A beneficiary, Victoria Nwuzor, appreciated the government for the initiative, adding that the assistance would shore up food production.
Also, Women Leader of Yoruba community and Muslim women in Abia state, Azeezat Jimoh, appreciated NALDA and the government for including a member of her community in the distribution exercise.
Also, NALDA Administrator in Kebbi State, Bashar Bunza led the team that distributed the inputs to beneficiaries from the benefiting local governments.
Chairman, Ngaski Local Government Area, Manir Abubakar, appreciated NALDA, saying the bags containing high yielding rice seeds, fertilisers and herbicides would help farmers produce more food.
He however, urged the beneficiaries to utilise the inputs for what it was intended for which is farming and not to sell them.
A beneficiary, Habibu Aliyu, said the intervention was timely as access to fertiliser had been a daunting task.
A rice farmer, Najima Hamza said the input will go a long way in boosting his farm and also help in supporting his family.
While in Yobe NALDA team led by the Director of Finance, Suleiman Lawal, distributed the inputs to beneficiaries in Gashua, Bade Local Government Area.
According to him, the beneficiaries were drawn from 6 local governments —Bade, Yusufari, Jakusko, Nguru, Karasuwa, and Machina.
According to NALDA, in the next 3 to 4 months, the outputs from the scheme would help in the significant drop in the cost of food items in the market.