FG Distributes Inputs to 750 Smallholder Farmers in Kaduna

News in brief:

-750 smallholder farmers in Kaduna receive inputs under the FG’s all-year-round farming initiative.

-Intervention aligns with food security emergency measures and Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Federal Government recently distributed agricultural inputs to 750 smallholder farmers in Kaduna State as part of efforts to scale up food production and stabilise national supply.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the intervention falls under the ministry’s 'inputs distribution for all-year-round farming' initiative, designed to enhance productivity across multiple planting cycles.

Linked to Food Security Emergency Measures

The intervention follows the July 2023 declaration of a state of emergency on food security aimed at boosting output, curbing food inflation and improving supply chain resilience.

According to Kyari, the ministry has reviewed and realigned its programmes to prioritise direct support to smallholder farmers in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Represented by Mr Kizito Gukas, Director of General Services in the ministry, the minister explained that the distribution forms part of short-term stabilisation measures targeted at cushioning farmers against rising input costs and production constraints.

“Our focus is to ensure that essential agro-inputs and basic farm machinery are accessible and affordable to farmers most affected by high production costs,” he stated.

Inputs Distributed via Cooperatives

The Kaduna State Coordinator of the ministry, Mr Anto Ogh, noted that the inputs were distributed through cooperative societies and farmer groups to enhance transparency, coordination and collective productivity.

Beneficiaries received improved seedlings, herbicides, knapsack sprayers, organic fertiliser, water pumps and a grading machine, inputs expected to improve yield per hectare, reduce post-harvest losses and support dry-season cultivation.

Farmers Seek Security and Market Stability

Muhammad Numbu, Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Kaduna State chapter, commended the Federal Government for the support, describing it as timely amid high input prices.

However, he appealed for improved security across farming communities and more stable produce markets to enable farmers to maximise output and sustain production gains.

From an agricultural productivity standpoint, stakeholders note that while input distribution strengthens farm-level capacity, complementary measures such as rural security, irrigation expansion, aggregation systems and price stabilisation mechanisms remain critical to achieving durable national food sufficiency.