Hardship: FG distributes agro-inputs to 14,000 farmers worth N2.8b in Anambra, Enugu

By Chinelo Kodilichukwu, Enugu

The Federal government led by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu,on Tuesday, distributed agro-inputs to 14,000 farmers worth N2.8 billion in Anambra and Enugu States.

The distribution of the agro-inputs was done under the Adani-Omor Zone of Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme, Phase One (ATASP-1).

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this during the agro inputs distribution part of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) in ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone in Ikem within Isi-Uzo Council Area.

Kyari, represented by Peter Kursh, said that the distributed farm inputs to ATASP-1 farmers were reduced at subsidized rate, adding: “This exercise has cost the programme about N5 billion.”

The minister said that Adani-Omor Zone had not benefited because it was off season at the time of planning, hence the need to implement this laudable programme in Enugu and Anambra States of the Adani-Omor Zone.

“The programme competitively procured Agro-Dealers that will provide Agricultural Inputs to about 14,000 ATASP-1 farmers in Adani-Omor i.e Enugu and Anambra States at 50 per cent subsidy with a total cost of about N2.8 billion.

“Each of the benefitting farmer will receive a package of two bags of inorganic NPK/Urea fertilizer, one bag of organic fertilizer, 10kg of seeds of either maize/rice/sorghum and four litres of Agro-chemicals delivered through ICT platform,” he said.

Kyari noted that the agricultural policy of the Federal Government aims at the attainment of self-sustaining growth in all the sub- sectors of agriculture and the structural transformation necessary for the overall socio-economic development.

According to him, the policy also meant to ensure improvement in the quality of life of Nigerians. “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government is currently implementing the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) across the nation.

Flagging the distribution, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State appreciated Tinubu for his visionary agricultural policies as well as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and African Development Bank (AFDB) for their support to the state through AtASP-1.

Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Patrick Ubru, said that subsidised Input distribution is one of such interventions coming on the platform of the National Agriculture Growth Scheme (NAGS)-AP, through the ATASP-1 project.

Earlier, Gov. Chukwuma Soludo lauded President Bola Tinubu and African Development Bank (AFDB) for assisting smallholder farmers to grow and provision of infrastructure to boost food production through ATASP-1.

Soludo, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture in Anambra, Dr Foster Ihejiofor, said that the distribution is a fulfillment of the Federal Government earlier promise to smallholder farmers in 2023.

The National Programme Coordinator ATASP-1, Mr Mohammed Arabi, noted that “ATASP is focusing on agricultural development on wheat, rice, cassava and sorghum within the country.

Romanus Egba, Zonal Programme Co-ordinator of ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone, appreciated the Federal, Anambra and Enugu State governments for providing an enabling environment to work together to give subsidised agro-inputs to farmers in the zone.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Paulinus Orji, a sorghum farmer, thanked the Federal Government and ATASP-1 for making the subsidised agro-inputs possible.