Fertiliser
By Cecilia Ijuo
The Federal Government has distributed 38,142 kilogramme of improved cashew seeds to Kogi farmers, to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, made this known at the roll-out of inputs to farmers in Lokoja on Thursday.
The programme was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
The ministry also distributed improved seeds of other priority crops like sesame, soybeans, rice, maize, wheat, cocoa and potatoes.
He said the inputs would be distributed through farmer associations, women and youth groups as well as cooperatives, to ensure the country did not experience food shortage as a result of the pandemic.
As you are aware, the restriction of movement of people, goods and services has had a negative effect on food production, income and livelihood of the smallholder farmers, who produce most of the food consumed in the country.
Therefore, supporting them with the much needed production inputs especially seeds, would enhance food production, create employment and enable them to recover quickly from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The support is to further make them self-reliant while ensuring more sustainable and resilient food system, he said.
According to Nanono, the support is with the following farm inputs: 38,142kg of improved cashew seeds to 3,798 cashew farmers and 27,000kg of certified sesame seeds to 5,400 sesame farmers.
Others are 50,000kg of soybeans seeds for distribution to soybeans farmers and 12,000 bundles of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) for 1,200 potato farmers.
Equally, we are distributing 15,000 sachets of redforce, 3,000 sachets of glory crop protection, 580 litres of soil amender and 500 litres of organic fertiliser to potato farmers, he said.
The minister said that the distribution of the inputs in Kogi was fourth in the series of palliatives being given out, since the commencement of the programme across the country.
He said during the first roll-out of inputs in Kano, that the ministry, in collaboration with development partners, distributed certified seeds of sorghum, millet, cowpea and rice to 8,200 farmers in 13 states of the federation.
Nanono stated that at the second roll-out in Kaduna on June 8, the ministry supported rice farmers with 27,000 kg and 300,000 kg each of certified seeds of FARO 66.
The minister noted that 300,000 kg of Foundation Seeds of flood tolerant rice varieties of FARO 66