The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) said it has engaged over 400 farmers in Gombe State for this year’s dry season wheat production.
NALDA Executive Secretary, Prince Paul Ikonne, disclosed this Monday during the ground-breaking ceremony for 2021 dry season wheat production in Dogon Ruwa village in Kaltungo LGA of the state.
He said the programme was part of efforts to ensure food security and provide job opportunities for the teaming unemployed youths in the country.
“Nigeria needs wheat production, our import values are more than what we produce and we are consuming more than what we produce in terms of wheat and that makes the production very lucrative and very attractive to farmers.
“Our wheat consumption is more than six million metric tons annually and we are producing less than that, like 1.1 per cent of what we consume,” Ikonne said.
The executive secretary added that the 400 farmers would be provided with seeds and other inputs, “including pumping machines and the technical training on how to go into wheat production.”
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya commended President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting agriculture and food production.
He said the dry season wheat production was part of the ongoing efforts by the federal and state governments to bridge the national deficit in wheat production.
