By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
In its efforts to ensure availability of staple food for the citizenry amid dwindling global resources and food shortages, the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has distributed agricultural inputs to farmers in Abia, Kebbi and Yobe states.
The input distribution is aimed at assisting farmers across the country to maximize crop cultivation for improved yields and increased food production.
The accredited beneficiaries of the empowerment programme received a NALDA branded bag 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 an hectare of farm land.
Executive secretary and chief executive officer of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne while addressing the farmers from all the local government areas of Abia State, to receive the empowerment packages at the NALDA Institute of Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship, IsiAla Okpu community in Osisioma Local Government Area, said the government was committed suring that the can produce what they eat by providing them inputs.
Ikonne assured the farmers that NALDA will continue to support them with agricultural inputs on a regular basis, stating that the contact details of all the beneficiaries have been captured in the agency’s database for follow-up assistance and more farmers will be added to the list from time to time.
Shedding more light on the essence of the empowerment programme, he said it is a fulfillment of President Bola Tinubu’s promise to ensure Nigerians get enough food at affordable prices.
According to him, “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.”
Some beneficiaries expressed their appreciation to the federal government for the gesture.
A beneficiary, Azeezat Jimoh who is the Women Leader of Yoruba community and Muslim women in Abia state appreciated NALDA and the government for including a member of her community in the distribution exercise.
In Kebbi State, the NALDA administrator in the state, Mr. Bashar Bunza led the team that distributed the inputs to beneficiaries.
The Chairman of the Ngaski Local Government Area, Honourable Manir Abubakar who participated in the distribution exercise thanked NALDA for the kind gesture.
Abubakar said the bags containing high yielding rice seeds, fertilisers and herbicides would help farmers produce more food.
He urged beneficiaries to utilise the inputs for what it was intended which is farming and not to sell them.
For Habibu Aliyu who farms eight hectares of rice annually, said the intervention by NALDA was a timely one as accessing fertiliser has been a daunting task. He promised to utilise it to the best of his abilities.
Another excited rice farmer Najima Hamza said the input will go a long way in boosting his farm and also help in supporting his family.
The NALDA team led by the Director of Finance Mr. Suleiman Lawal, was also in Yobe State to distribute the inputs to beneficiaries in Gashua, Bade Local Government Area of the state. READ ALSO:
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Beneficiaries were drawn from six local government areas, namely Bade, Yusufari, Jakusko, Nguru, Karasuwa, and Machina.
The NALDA team explained to the beneficiaries the contents of the bags and how to apply them for maximum yield.
The NALDA empowerment programme is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to NALDA to reach out to farmers across the country to ensure they produce food while helping the country achieve food sufficiency.
Recall that President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency on food, hence the move by NALDA to compliment the President’s food security through empowerment programmes to cushion the effect of high cost of living.
The empowerment of farmers by NALDA is a continuous exercise to encourage more Nigerians to go into farming to ensure self-sufficiency in food production thus boosting food security for the teeming population.
