The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has commended the distribution of subsidised inputs to farmers in Jigawa State, saying it will enhance wheat production in the state.
Represented by the state coordinator of the ministry, Engr. Sale Salisu, the Minister expressed delight during an inspection of the program at farmers’ centres in Miga and Dutse.
Speaking on behalf of the minister, Salisu noted that the initiative aims to boost wheat production, reduce reliance on imported wheat, and lower production costs for farmers.
He said, “The ongoing government intervention is expected to contribute significantly to the country’s food security by increasing wheat production and reducing our dependence on imports.”
The distribution falls under the Federal Government’s special program on wheat production and provides inputs to farmers at a 75% subsidy. Farmers are required to pay the remaining 25%.
In Jigawa, around 80,000 farmers are set to benefit, with each receiving four bags of fertiliser and one 50kg bag of wheat seeds valued at ₦160,000, of which they pay only ₦40,000.
According to Salisu, the program has earmarked 3,000 hectares of farmland across 12 clusters in the state, with each farmer expected to cultivate at least one hectare. The initiative is designed to empower farmers and increase productivity.
However, beneficiaries of the program expressed gratitude to the government for the support.
Garba Nalami, a farmer from Tsakuwawa, Miga Local Government Area, said, “The high cost of inputs and transportation had forced many of us to reduce the size of land we cultivated, but this support will change the narrative.”
Similarly, Yakubu Dayyabu, from Dutse Local Government Area, shared that he had reduced his cultivation from five hectares to two due to the economic crisis.
He praised the subsidy, stating it would enable him to expand his farm size again.
Another farmer, Abubakar Sulaiman, from Miga Local Government Area, echoed their sentiments, noting that the subsidy would allow him to purchase inputs at a lower cost and improve his wheat production.
However, the Federal Government’s program is expected to significantly strengthen wheat farming in Jigawa State, contributing to the broader goal of food security and self-sufficiency in Nigeria.