The federal government has flagged off the 2024/2025 National Dry Season farming, which marks the commencement of wheat cultivation across the country.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, supported by the Cross River State deputy governor, Dr Peter Odey and international development partners performed the ceremony at the Cross River Basin Development Authority on Wednesday.
The minister said the initiative is under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project in the state.
He said the government has declared an emergency on food production to enable all Nigerians to get access to quality and nutritious food at affordable prices.
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He stressed that the government wants to use the agricultural sector for the national economic revival through increased production of some staple food crops such as wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava during both dry and wet season farming.
Kyari also revealed that the government has secured a loan facility of $134m from the African Development Bank (AfDB), explaining that the national dry season farming was re-introduced to boost year-round agricultural production to guarantee national food and nutrition security in the country.
He explained that 107,429 wheat farmers have been supported under the phase 1 of the 2023/2024 dry season, 43,997 rice farmers under the second phase of the 2023/2024 dry season and most of recent 192,095 rice, maize, sorghum/millet, soyabean and cassava farmers under the 2024 wet season across the 37 states including Abuja.
On his part, the deputy governor hailed the initiative and assured the minister of the administration’s support and cooperation, especially as the state is listed as a foremost wheat farming state.
“This will further propel us to intensify more efforts at producing more grains and seeds for food availability. This dry season farming will also help us in irrigation.”
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