FG spent N309bn in one year to ensure food security — Agric Minister, Kyari

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration spent an estimated N309bn through harvest, in the last year, to ensure food security.

Kyari said this while giving an update on the achievements of the ministry at the ongoing 3rd ministerial sectoral update, as part of activities marking the first anniversary of the president.

Recall that President Tinubu assumed office on the 29th of May, 2023.

He disclosed that as part of efforts to address food and nutrition security, the government has launched dry season farming with cultivation of 118, 657 hectares of wheat in 15 states in an acceleration of all-year-round farming, procured and distributed to all states and the FCT 58,500 metric tones of milled rice to dampen escalating prices, and fortified crops with vitamin A micronutrient to enrich nutrition content and health value of commodities.

In response to persistent food inflation, the minister explained that the government has also taken measures to distribute 60, 432 metric tones of improved seeds, 887,255 metric tones of seedlings and 62, 328 metric tones of inorganic fertilisers and equipment to farmers across different value chains to enhance production.

He further mentioned the improvement of farmland security with the provision of additional resources to agro rangers and other security agencies.

Senator Kyari also highlighted the efforts of the government in response to livestock production and animal health, control of pests and diseases, strengthening mechanisation, and agricultural research activities amongst others

He noted that the government has intensified efforts on the production and processing of soybean, sesame, ginger, and hibiscus for export.