The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has inaugurated the distribution of farm inputs to smallholder onion farmers affected by the 2024 flood disaster in Adamawa.
The State Director, FMAFS, Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, said during the inauguration in Yola on Tuesday that the inputs, including disease and pests’ management packs, would be given to 170 onion farmers in the state, adding that the move was to ameliorate the plight of the farmers.
Represented by Mrs Omotosho Agbani, the Deputy Director, Horticulture, Abubakar said “onion forms a major food component of every household in Nigeria and impacts the country’s economic development.
“The distribution of these critical inputs for onion production is borne out of the government’s intense desire to cushion the effect of flood on livelihood of the teeming resource poor smallholder farmers to food and nutritional security in Nigeria.
“It is believed that the inputs distributed will enable the farmers to bounce back on production, ensure availability of onion bulbs, ensure food and nutritional security, create wealth and job opportunities, as well as earn foreign exchange”, he said.
He advised the beneficiaries to take advantage of the free inputs to improve their livelihood and support the government achieving its target goal of self-sufficiency and ensure food and nutritional security.
The director appreciated the efforts of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Safety, Sen. Abba Kyari and the management team for providing the inputs.
In his address, Mr Jenongso Salihu, the Adamawa Coordinator, FMAFS, who was duly represented by Mr Hassan Danbaki, called on the head of clusters to ensure that the inputs reached affected famers for bumper harvest, while warning the beneficiaries against selling the inputs given to them.
On his part, Malam Isa Adamu, the Chairman, National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN), Adamawa chapter, thanked and appreciated the Federal Government for the gesture.
He assured effective distribution to the affected farmers to boost production.
Report gathered that 170 beneficiaries were registered under eight clusters and the packs included: seeds, growth enhancers and agrochemicals for each beneficiary.
