The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security commenced the distribution of agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers in Abia on Thursday.
The items, including power tillers, herbicides, liquid fertilisers, knapsack sprayers, and water pumps, among others, were distributed during the rollout exercise at the National Soil Laboratory, Umudike.
The inputs were distributed through commodity associations, cooperative groups, farmers with special needs, and internally displaced persons.
In a message to the event, the agriculture minister, Abubakar Kyari, said that it was geared towards delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
Mr Kyari, represented by Ikemefuna Ezeanya, the head of the Department of Information in the ministry, urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the inputs to produce more food for the nation.
He said the present administration was implementing numerous economic reforms to stimulate productive capacity, create jobs, and reduce the cost of living.
The minister said that emergency responses and targeted humanitarian actions had also been taken to address the country’s food crisis.
He said the administration had demonstrated total political will to transform the agricultural sector by making food security a top priority.
Mr Kyari said the ministry had rolled out many programmes and projects to address some of the challenges of farmers in the country.
He said the ministry had considered implementing short-term plans and support mechanisms to make essential farm inputs affordable and accessible to farmers through a transparent, accountable process.
“Our foremost concern is the facilitation of agro-inputs and basic farm machinery to small-scale farmers, who are constrained by the high market cost of these essential inputs and thus need assistance,” he said.
In a remark, the state coordinator, Aloysius Mba, said the initiative was to boost agricultural productivity and enhance food security in Abia.
He said the ministry had always empowered and encouraged smallholder farmers, including women in agriculture and farmers with special needs, for increased productivity.
Mr Mba urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture by making adequate use of the inputs to sustain the programme’s aims.
Reacting, a beneficiary and person with disability, Blessing Ononogbu, expressed gratitude to the government for the gesture.
“With this, we will be able to provide food to eat and give to others,” Ms Ononogbu said.
(NAN)