The federal government on Thursday commenced the distribution of 1,035 metric tonnes of wheat seed and inputs to farmers in Kaduna, Katsina and Kano states.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar, who inaugurated the distribution in Zaria, said it was part of efforts to reduce the cost of production and strengthen food security.
The minister was represented by Musa Mohammed of the Federal Department of Agriculture, Kaduna Field Office.
Mr Abubakar said Kaduna State received 350 bags of 100kg seeds, while Kano and Katsina states received 500 bags of 100kg seeds each.
Earlier, Naphthali Telta, Desk Officer, Wheat Production and Value Chain, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said seed planters, moisture and PH metres would also be distributed to the farmers.
He said other inputs were growth enhancers, sprayers and organic fertiliser and pesticides.
Mr Telta said that one of the critical challenges of wheat production was the high cost of production which had placed Nigerian wheat in a disadvantaged position when compared with imported wheat.
He said the gesture was to reduce the cost of wheat production so that Nigerian wheat could compete favourably with the imported wheat.
The desk officer said the Atila variety of the wheat seed was distributed to the farmers, because they were conversant with it and millers patronise the variety.
Bashir Tanko, the Chairman, Association of Wheat Farmers, Kaduna State, thanked the federal government for the gesture.
Mr Tanko promised they would utilise the seeds and inputs, saying that additional 350 wheat farmers would benefit from the gesture apart from those who benefitted from the Central Bank’s Wheat Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme.
“I want to promise the ministry that we will not waste these seeds; this is money given to us, if we waste it we do it to ourselves and for us to be fair to ourselves we are going to plant it.
“Since a farmer needs 100 kg seed per hectare, we will distribute the seeds to 350 farmers,’’ he said.
(NAN)
