The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has provided vital support to 9,500 farmers in Plateau State with inputs aimed at scaling up dry season wheat farming.
Dr. Steven Dowoh, Plateau Coordinator for the ministry, announced this on Saturday during a visit to a 200-hectare wheat cluster farm in Tenti Babba, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
Under the National Agriculture Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) initiative, farmers received subsidised inputs, including three 50kg bags of fertiliser and one bag of wheat seeds each.
However, the programme is part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen food security and achieve agricultural self-sufficiency.
“In Plateau, 9,500 wheat farmers have been registered and are benefitting from this intervention,” Dowoh said. “This cluster in Tenti Babba consists of 600 farmers cultivating 200 hectares of land. The nearby dam will ensure adequate water supply for effective dry season farming.”
He assured farmers of their safety, revealing that Agro-Rangers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had been deployed to protect them while on the farm. Dowoh also highlighted that off-takers were ready to purchase the wheat, ensuring farmers received fair value for their efforts.
Chief Samuel Pukat, the cluster lead at Tenti Babba, commended the initiative, describing it as a solution to long-standing challenges faced by farmers, including limited access to inputs.
“Planting will be completed next week, and in three months, we expect to harvest a large quantity of wheat,” Pukat said. “We also plan to cultivate an additional 200 hectares of land for rice production within this same location during the dry season.”