The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has supported 3,000 farmers in the Bauchi zone with agricultural inputs, including fertiliser, seeds, insecticides and pesticides to cultivate wheat on 1,400 hectares of land under the federal government’s initiative for dry season wheat farming.
The aim of the exercise is to reduce the importation of foreign grains and boost local production in Nigeria.
The intervention involves providing agricultural inputs, such as 10 bags of fertilizer (3 Urea – 7NPK), wheat seedlings (1 bag foreign and 1 bag local), pesticides, and insecticides.
The inputs are made available upon a down payment of 50 per cent of the total cost, which amounts to N160,000.
Under the National Wheat Production Programme by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (NAGS-AP), Bauchi State was allocated 3,000 hectares of land, with Jama’are, Azare and Misau each receiving 600, 500, and 500 hectares respectively.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the distribution of farming tools to wheat farmers in Bauchi, the managing director of K.T. Doma Investment Ltd, who is in charge of Bauchi zone distribution centre, Honourable Sadiq Tijjani Kida, said there were four distribution centres in the state – Bauchi (Toro, Tafawa Balewa, Dass, Bogoro, Kirfi, Alkaleri, Bauchi and Ganjuwa local councils), and Azare, Misau, Ningi.
He said 3,000 hectares were allocated to farmers for the 2023/2024 wheat farming season in Bauchi zone.
He said 1,400 farmers were selected in Bauchi centre, 600 in Azare centre, 500 in Misau and 500 in Ningi.
“The farmers have been listed and the ICT in Abuja has sent messages to them to come to their centres where they will redeem their inputs.
“We have been giving out the inputs since November 15th and we have come to the end of the distribution today. For Bauchi, we have given all the 1,400 inputs to the beneficiaries,” he said.
Honourable Sadiq further stated that farmers are expected to have planted between November 15th and December 15th for a bumper harvest.
He added that the programme is implemented to reduce high dependence on the importation of wheat.
One of the beneficiaries, Abubakar Suleiman, vowed to go to the farm immediately while appreciating the government for assisting farmers to boost wheat production.
Zuwaira Ibrahim, another beneficiary of the scheme from the Bauchi zone, expressed gratitude to the federal government for the intervention, highlighting the potential economic boost and enhanced food security from the support.
“I am immensely grateful for the agricultural inputs. This gesture will not only improve my economic status but also contribute to the availability of food supplies,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Maigari Mohammed, also appreciated the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, urging for the extension of such support to more farmers in the state.
