Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have praised President Bola Tinubu’s farmer support initiatives, saying they are boosting food security and transforming the sector.
Farmers, experts, and government officials shared their views in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Gombe, during an appraisal of the Tinubu administration’s performance over the past two years.
Dr. Ibrahim Bomoi, State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said the interventions were aligned with the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda and aimed at achieving sustainable agricultural development.
He said the Federal Government had supported and empowered farmers via the National Agricultural Growth Scheme (NAGS) project, which seeks to enhance food production and combat inflation.
He said the federal government distributed subsidised fertilisers and inputs to 8,000 Gombe farmers, to cultivate wheat, rice, sorghum and maize during the last dry season.
According to him, the Tinubu administration plans to support another set of 6,000 farmers to cultivate crops this cropping season in the state.
Also, Lawan Garba, Chairman, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria in the state, lauded the FG’s agric interventions designed to accelerate wheat production and processing.
He said President Tinubu had demonstrated great commitment to transform agriculture and address the threat of food insecurity.
“Over 8,000 wheat farmers received support last year, and you need to see the bumper harvest, if not for the support, they would be idle.
“This help to achieve food security in the country and we are happy with the processing facility in Kalshingi. We hope it would be completed soon for maximal use,” he said.
Alhaji Umaru Fawu, Chairman, Gombe chapter of the Soybean Farmers Association of Nigeria (SOFAN), stressed the need to sustain the programme, to enable Nigeria to achieve food sufficiency, end hunger and provide jobs to youths.
He advocated for the re-introduction of the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), to enhance farmer access to inputs and agricultural financing.
