Senator Kyari delivered a sectoral update marking the one-year anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda,’ highlighting significant achievements and ongoing challenges.
The minister described the dry season farming initiative as highly successful, with 118,657 hectares of wheat cultivated across 15 states. He reported that “107,429 wheat farmers” received inputs, resulting in an output of 474,628 metric tons. This generated an estimated economic value of N309 billion. Kyari noted that Jigawa State produced over 50,000 metric tons of wheat, surpassing its initial target of 40,000 tons.
Addressing the persistent food inflation, Kyari detailed several measures taken to boost production. These included the distribution of 60,432 tons of improved seeds, 887,255 tons of seedlings, 501,726 liters of agrochemicals, 62,328.5 tons of inorganic fertilizer, 1,000 kg of fungicide, and 33,200 pieces of equipment to farmers across various value chains.
Regarding livestock production and animal health, Kyari highlighted the establishment of six micro earth dams, eight boreholes, 164 milk collection centers, eight cottage feed mills, and seven livestock centers. Additionally, the administration facilitated 14,926,469 vaccinations for animals and conducted artificial insemination for 2,095 animals nationwide.
Despite signing an MoU with John Deere and Tata Africa to assemble and supply 10,000 tractors and 100 combined harvesters at an annual rate of 2,000 units, the program has yet to commence months after the agreement.
On research and development, Kyari mentioned that 23 improved crop varieties developed by the country’s agricultural research institutes were certified and released to Nigerian farmers by the National Varietal Release Committee. To strengthen the extension system, about 3,350 extension agents in state agricultural development projects were trained.
During a Q&A session with journalists, Sen. Kyari and Dr. Sabi Aliyu, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, affirmed that the country is on the right path to achieving food security. However, they acknowledged challenges related to foreign exchange impacting fertilizer production and mentioned that the government is in talks with producers to find solutions.
Regarding the high cost of tomatoes, the minister explained, “A significant number of our tomato farms have been affected by a severe infestation known as Tomato Ebola or Tomato Leaf Miner, which has drastically reduced tomato availability and contributed to rising costs.”