The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday dismissed concerns that Nigerians will experience food shortage in the coming months.
He was responding to questions from lawmakers on Monday at the budget defence session of the ministry before the National Assembly.
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Some of the lawmakers in their separate submissions had decried the effects of flooding in the country, especially on farming.
They also said that projections had been made that Africa might experience food shortage given the stoppage of grains importations occasioned by Russia- Ukraine war.
But Mohammed said: “The main concern about food scarcity, in the coming months, we’ll not allow that to happen, I can guarantee you by the Grace of God, because we have measures in place.
“One of the measures is dry season farming, which we have in place and the money, we are working with the Ministry of Finance, we’ve gotten money from financing agencies, one of them is AFDB, and we will intensify dry season farming.”
He said the ministry was already assessing the flood situation on the basis of the extent of damage done to farmlands and crops like, rice, maize and the number of farmers affected. (NAN).
He said the immediate intervention was that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management was distributing grains provided by the ministry.