The Federal Government (FG) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring equitable distribution of about forty two thousand metric tons of assorted grains to States for onward distribution to vulnarable Nigerians free as soon as possible.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari gave the assurance during an interactive session with the joint committee of Agricultural production services and rural development of both Chambers this Tuesday in Abuja.
Kyari explained that the issue of food security has manifested its self much earlier immediately after the swearing in of Mr President and has already taken measures to ensure the country deal with the issue head-on
The minister said already the federal Government has taken steps under the ministary and other agencies to ensure food security in Nigeria by given attention to dry season wheet production which the minister is happy to say is about to be harvested
He also said there are plans for rainy season rice production which is espected to cultivate about two hundred and fifty thousand hectares during the season , fifty Five thousand hectares of maize and thirty thousand hectares of cassava nation wide.
He said some development partners of World Bank and other Agencies are given them the support to double their assistance in that area
The minister assured that right now they are seeking the Government approval to start distribution of assorted grains to states for onward distributions to vulnarable Nigerias in an efforts to ensure availability of food to Nigerians free
However, according to the Minister based on the advice of the Special Adviser to Mr.President on Security the Ministry is keeping its programmes on all these distributions mute going by the recent trend of vandalization and breaks of warehouses but as soon as they have finished, the distribution will be launched.
The Minister also talked about the assistance of wheet by Ukrain , saying the programme was long started before the break up of war and allocation of fertiliser from CBN was received for onward distributions to the Nigerian Farmers after due investigation of its suitability to our soil.
Similarly responding to some questions the Minister said the Government initiated a steps to assist farmers with fertilizers, farming implements and other necessary ferming tools to improve food production among farmers instead of given out palliatives to them.
Also said, the government has introduced an initiative to give out fertilizer and seeds to farmers free and at the end of the season the farmers are expected to give out 20 percent of their harvest to the government.
Ealier in their seperate key note addresses the chairmen of both committees said the objective of the interactive sessions is to find out what actually the federal Government is doing to address the hike of.food prices and shortage to cushing the impact of food inflation .
The chairman senate committee on Agricultural Production Services Senator Salihu Mustapha said right from January there are cases of food shortage, and inflation prices as such it is the responsibility of the representative of Nigerians to know exactly the.position of Government to ameliorate the sufferings despite the paliatives.
Also in his remarks the Chairman of the House Committee on Agricultural Production Services, Hon Bello Ka’oje said good collaborative efforts between the executive and legislature is necessary in ensuring food security in Nigeria.
He urged all and sundry to put more efforts in achieving the desired results.
