The Federal Government says it has deployed emergency interventions and focused humanitarian measures to ease the food shortage facing the country, while laying the groundwork for longer term stability in the agriculture sector.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, made this known in Calabar during the distribution of farm inputs to farmers in Cross River State.
He explained that the steps taken so far were part of efforts to cushion the impact of rising food prices and ensure that basic food items remain within reach of Nigerians.
Represented at the event by the Director of Agribusiness and Market Development in the ministry, Mr Bassey Iwara, the minister said the current administration had shown strong commitment to revamping agriculture through reforms aimed at boosting productivity, expanding employment opportunities and lowering the cost of living.
He added that collaboration with nongovernmental organisations and the private sector was being strengthened to support these goals.
Kyari noted that several programmes and projects had been introduced to address persistent challenges confronting farmers, with special attention given to making food more available, accessible and affordable.
According to him, short term support measures were also being implemented to help farmers obtain essential inputs and basic farm equipment at reduced cost through a transparent process, particularly for small scale producers who are most affected by high market prices.
The state coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Ekori Nsan, said the interventions were designed to benefit farmers across all levels.
He warned beneficiaries to put the items to proper use, stressing that monitoring mechanisms had been established to prevent misuse or resale.
One of the beneficiaries, Mr Asuquo Asuquo, expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the support, describing the intervention as timely and encouraging for farmers in the state.
