By Enoh Blessing,Outlook Media ABUJA.
“We will meet our food security target despite the losses,” says Minister of Agriculture.
“We will intensify efforts in dry season farming to cover the losses,” adds Kyari.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, sympathized with thousands of farmers whose farms were destroyed by floods in the country.
The recent figures released by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) indicate that more than thousands of hectares of farmlands were damaged with more than forty thousand people displaced by the flood in the country.
Abubakar Kyari said the development is worrisome and will have a negative impact on the social and economic well-being of the rural farmers, especially the small-scale farmers.
“As we witness the devastation caused by the recent flooding in our agricultural heartlands, my thoughts turn to the hardworking farmers whose livelihoods have been swept away by the unforgiving forces of nature.”
“The impact of this will be felt on the anticipated harvest this year, though we are hopeful it will have minimal effect on national food security.”
The Minister, Senator Abubakar Kyari, also sympathized with the farmers who lost their crops as a result of a dry spell that lasted for weeks in some states in the North-Central, North-East, parts of the North-West, and South-West.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR has encouraged us to invest in technologies and practices that empower our farmers to adapt to a changing climate and safeguard their livelihoods against unpredictable weather patterns.
He said by embracing smart agriculture and harnessing the potential of early maturing seeds, the country can pave the way for a more sustainable and secure future for the agricultural sector.
Senator Abubakar Kyari said the government will give more emphasis on the 2024/2025 dry season farming to cover the losses recorded as a result of the flood.
He said his ministry and that of water resources and sanitation are collaborating towards improving areas under cultivation during dry season farming.
“We have constituted a committee already between the staff of the two ministries and key players working on ways to achieve the objectives of increasing food production through dry season farming.”
He urged all citizens to join hands in solidarity with the farmers, states, and local governments to offer more support and resources to those who toil tirelessly to feed the nation.
“Together, we will weather this storm, and together, we will emerge stronger, united in our commitment to stand with our farmers today and always.”
