FG distributes farm inputs to boost food security in Yobe
By Ahmed Isah
The Federal Government has distributed farm inputs and equipment to smallholder farmers in Yobe to boost food production and advance the Renewed Hope Agenda on food security.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security made this known at the inaugural ceremony of the distribution on Thursday in Damaturu.
Kyari, represented by Mrs. Zara Kachalla, the Director Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said Federal Government had declared a state of emergency on food security in July 2023 to prioritise agriculture and address rising food costs nationwide.
He said the present administration was implementing economic reforms and targeted interventions to stimulate productive capacity, create jobs and make food available, accessible and affordable to Nigerians.
According to him, the ministry has realigned programmes since assuming office on Aug. 21, 2023, to address farmers’ challenges and support national food security objectives.
He said the government was promoting synergy with state governments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector to enhance agricultural growth, job creation and poverty reduction.
Kyari said the ministry was implementing short-term support mechanisms to make essential farm inputs affordable through a transparent and accountable process.
He said items distributed included power tillers, water pumps, herbicides, liquid fertilisers, knapsack sprayers and other equipment to farmers through cooperatives, commodity associations, persons with special needs and internally displaced persons.
Earlier, Malam Suleiman Musa, the Yobe State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said the exercise was nationwide and targeted 50 cooperative groups and commodity associations in the state.
Musa said the initiative demonstrated the ministry’s commitment to agricultural sustainability in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
In a goodwill message, Alhaji Ali Goniri, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources said the programme would transform the livelihoods of small-scale farmers in the state.
Goniri said the Yobe State Government had introduced reforms since 2020 to revitalise agriculture, including an agricultural summit, a five-year strategic plan and the state’s first agricultural policy.
He said the state distributed agricultural inputs worth over N17 billion to 5,340 beneficiaries in 2024 and over N16 billion to about 27,000 beneficiaries in 2025.
Goniri assured the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security of the state’s readiness to collaborate to strengthen agricultural devel
opment and food self-reliance.
