Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, says that the Federal Government of Nigeria is actively pursuing a plan to stockpile its Strategic Food Reserve to address food security concerns, stabilise prices, and ensure financial liquidity in the agricultural sector for farmers.
Speaking during his working tour of some facilities in Kaduna in northern Nigeria with the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Abdullahi Aliyu, in the company of other stakeholders, the minister said that the government’s gesture would enable farmers to go into all-year-round farming, especially during the dry season.
Reacting to the worries of farmers about a crash in the cost of food items across the country in spite of the hike in the cost of input, the minister however, assured the farmers of the readiness of the government to tackle the challenge.
“Though farmers are worried about a crash in the cost of food but they also go to the same markets and benefit from cheaper prices.
“At the same time, the problem with farmers is the price of inputs.
“President Bola Tinubu is working on that. We are going to tackle the price of inputs and balance the welfare of citizens and that of the farmers.
“Very soon, we are also going to stock up strategic reserves, which will give a lot of financial liquidity to the agricultural sector for farmers to be able to go into all-year-round farming, especially in the dry season,” the minister said
Assessing the performance of some factories visited, the minister expressed satisfaction over the high level and interest of the populace in food production, processing of raw materials, among others.
According to him, farmers and processors have heeded the clarion call of President Tinubu on the issue of food security and food sovereignty.
“It is evident that what you see on the field is almost in line with the renewal hope agenda of Mr President,” the minister said..
The minister’s tour was on the sidelines of the 47th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security.
GIK/APA