Ebonyi, Osun farmers get inputs to boost crop production

Farmers in Ebonyi and Osun states have received various agricultural inputs to scale up crop production.

The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) provided high-grade fertilizer, herbicides and improved rice and maize seeds for Ebonyi and rice and bean seeds for Osun states respectively.

The inputs were distributed to over 1000 farmers in each of the two states based on the agricultural comparative crop advantages.

In Ebonyi, farmers from the benefiting local governments were mostly women and youths who are the major force in agriculture.

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No fewer than 400 farmers consisting of 200 maize and 200 rice farmers were drawn from 10 communities in Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency for the exercise.

For Osun state, 500 farmers drawn from all the local governments of the state were empowered with maize and bean seeds in Oshogbo, the state capital.

Farmers in the two states were captured on their farms and the size of their farms was taken for proper documentation on the website created and for accurate distribution of the inputs for maximum results.

Addressing the farmers in both states during the exercise, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, who was represented by the head Soil Science Department, Lucius Ndimele, said NALDA, with the directives of President Bola Tinubu, would ensure that Nigerians produce enough food for Nigerians.

He said NALDA would continue to distribute these inputs till they get to farmers in every state of the country.

According to him, the distribution exercise targets genuine farmers at the grassroots in order to boost food production and access to staple foods in the country.

“The government is making sure that you can produce what you’ll eat by providing you inputs and the essence of what we’re doing here today is to ensure Nigerians understand the importance of farming, make sure we produce what we eat and reduce the price of food in the market,” he said.

The inputs distribution programme is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to NALDA to reach out to farmers across the country to ensure they produce food while helping the country achieve food sufficiency.