The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has provided farm inputs to farmers in Plateau State as part of efforts to strengthen food production across Nigeria.
The items were presented to beneficiaries on Thursday in Jos by Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister overseeing the ministry. Kyari was represented at the event by Mr. Gukas Kizito, the ministry’s Director of General Services.
According to Kyari, the initiative is aimed at ensuring national food security. “In alignment with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government has declared food security as a national emergency.
This administration has demonstrated the total political will to transform the agriculture sector by making food security a priority,” he said.
The distributed items include pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, improved seeds, water pumps, and other essential farm tools.
Kyari noted that the inputs would reach farmers through commodity associations, cooperative groups, farmers with special needs, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the state.
“By this exercise, the federal government is hereby supporting small-scale farmers with these inputs and equipment to boost food production and enhance yield. In summary, it is the resolve of this administration to develop the agriculture sector towards improving rural productivity and attaining the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals,” Kyari added.
He also assured that the ministry would continue to implement initiatives and programmes to support farmers and safeguard food security nationwide.
Earlier, the ministry’s Coordinator in Plateau State, Mr. Kenneth Watlik, confirmed that the items would be shared among 25 commodity associations and farmers’ groups.
He warned beneficiaries against selling the inputs, urging them to use them responsibly.
“We are going to conduct strict monitoring; if we find anyone wanting, we will not hesitate to prosecute such a person,” he said.
Dr. Nengak Yilkudi, the Permanent Secretary of the Plateau Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, expressed gratitude to the federal government for the intervention.
He noted that the effort complements the state government’s push to make agriculture a key economic driver.
