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South East: Imo Farmers Benefit FG’s Free
Inputs

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment towards
ensuring that Smallholder farmers across the country have access to
quality seeds, stating that it is a foundation for attaining food
and nutrition security and industrialization of the agricultural
sector.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji
Muhammad Sabo Nanono disclosed this during the flag –off /roll out
ceremony of the distribution of free agricultural inputs to farmers
at Hero Square, New Owerri, Owerri, Imo State over the weekend
having performed similar task earlier in the South South.

Alhaji Sabo Nanono explained that ‘’through this effort and
other complementary interventions by different stakeholders, the
government hopes to increase quality seeds, the resilience of
farmers, accessibility and the national food systems in
general’’.

The Minister noted that ‘’the Ministry is supporting breeder and
foundation seeds production and linking up with the private seed
companies to make certified seeds available to farmers’’.

Alhaji Nanono also stressed that ‘’ this coupled with our
efforts to improve rural infrastructure and other value-chains
supports would invariably contribute to the attainment of Mr.
President’s desire to ensure easy access to quality food and
nutrition by Nigerians.

The minister informed that ‘’ the distribution of agricultural
inputs to smallholder farmers which include different categories of
seeds, seedlings of cocoa, sprouted nuts of oil palm, vines of
orange flesh, sweet potatoes, one node vine cuttings of yam and its
seeds and groundnut seeds as part of the Ministry’s interventions
to reduce the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on agricultural
production in Nigeria and prevent food scarcity in 2021.

He further said that ‘’ the Ministry is distributing 20,000
cocoa seedlings over 5,000 oil palm sprouted nuts and 1,500 kg
cashew seeds to farmers in Imo state. In addition, yam farmers
through their national association and other cooperative groups
will be supported with 20,000 nos one node vine cuttings and 10,000
nos foundation seeds of yam as well as 200 liters of pathway
organic growth enhancer. Potatoes farmers will benefit from 1,500
bundles of orange fleshed sweet potatoes that were distributed at
the occasion, and 200 liters of pathway organic solution for the
yam farmers’’.

Nanono said the Ministry “is also supporting groundnut farmers
through the Groundnut Producers, Processors and Marketers
Association (GPPMAN) with improved 3 mt groundnut seeds. These
seeds, seedlings, nuts, vines and other inputs are being given to
farmers free’’.

He disclosed that in the roll out distribution exercise, “at
least 35% of the agricultural inputs are targeted at women farmers
in line with the targets set in our National Gender Plan and
Policies aimed at ensuring increased opportunities for women. This
has been communicated to the Farmer Associations accordingly’’.

The Minister informed that ‘’the next major roll-out of support
to farmers will take place in Borno State, where improved wheat,
groundnut and rice seeds as well as gum Arabic seedlings will be
distributed to farmers nationwide along with their inputs’’.

In his remark, the Executive of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma
lauded the Agricultural policies and visionary leadership of
President Muhammadu Buhari’s in the sector geared towards job
creation, food sufficiency and economic growth . He said, ” Imo
State will buy into the Agriculture policy because the state has
Agricultural potentials which will create jobs for its teeming
Youth population and boost the Internally Generated Revenue of the
state and Nigeria in general “.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Commissioner of Agriculture
and Natural Resources, Imo State Dr. Lambert Orisakwe noted that,
“Imo State is predominantly an agrarian society where every family
is engaged in one form of agricultural practice or the other”. He
said the coming of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development to distribute agro palliative to farmers in the state
is a welcome development. This August and memorable occasion is
very refreshing and calls for celebration “.

In her Goodwill message the Commissioner of Livestock
Development, Imo state , Hon. Obiageri Ajoku called for a robust
synergy relationship with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development towards achieving food and nutrition in
Nigeria.

While giving vote of thanks, Director, Federal Department of
Agriculture in the Ministry, Mrs. Karima Babangida thanked the
governor , Senator Hope Uzodimma for gracing the occasion and
flagging off the seed distribution exercise of oil palm, cashew,
rice, yam, potatoes, groundnut, and cocoa to farmers; and the
organic growth enhancer for higher yield of the crops especially
yam and orange flesh potatoes.

Ezeaja Ikemefuna
Director, Information (FMARD)