By Ahmad Mubarak
Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of agricultural equipment and farm inputs to farmers in Kogi State, as part of efforts to enhance food production and address food security challenges.
At flag-off ceremony, held in Lokoja, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the intervention was designed to strengthen agricultural productivity and ensure sustainable food security.
He noted that the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at achieving national food security.
Represented by the Deputy Director, Monitoring and Evaluation in the ministry, AbdulKareem Abdulganiyu, the minister disclosed that the items being distributed include power tillers, herbicides, liquid fertilisers, knapsack sprayers, water pumps, insecticides, and certified seeds.
He explained that the inputs are being distributed free of charge to farmers through cooperative societies, as well as to farmers with special needs and internally displaced persons.
Earlier, the Kogi State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Timothy Ojoma, described the programme as a timely intervention that would significantly improve agricultural productivity across the state.
In her welcome address, the State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mrs Subeiru Adejoke, urged beneficiaries to embrace farming as a business and make proper use of the inputs, rather than selling or abandoning them.
In a goodwill message, the National President, Women in Agriculture Cooperative Federation, Mrs Esther Audu, commended President Tinubu for prioritising genuine farmers in his economic reforms, noting that such support was often misdirected in the past.
Edited by Ajifa Ainoko
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