Abubakar Kyari, the minister of agriculture, has announced that the federal government will provide wheat farmers with a 50% subsidy during the forthcoming dry season farming to ensure a significant amount of the grain is produced in the nation.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Kyari talked with reporters shortly after Friday’s inspection of various seed wheat outputs in Kano.
In the approaching dry farming seasons, “we are fully committed towards massive wheat production for local and foreign export actions,” he declared.
He clarified that the revived objective of President Tinubu was intended to ensure that Nigeria had secure food production beginning next month, with wheat farming having a negative impact on dry season farming.
The minister, who was overseeing the seed production in Jigawa and Kano, expressed delight that local production was an essential part of farming.
“Jigawa State has shown a lot of interest in wheat farming by providing 40,000 hectares of land for wheat farming, closing on the 70,000 hectares set aside by the Federal Government to achieve this year,” the official added.
The federal government was working to have enough seeds to cover the 70,000 hectares set aside for wheat farming, the minister said.
“The breeder and foundation seeds were examined before it was decided to gradually stop importing wheat before irrigated farming the next year.
“This is because importing wheat is using up a significant portion of Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves.
Kyari stated that local production was one method that seed imports might be fully stopped. He added that the Federal Government aimed to safeguard the country’s food production and be self-sufficient.
With the planned programs, Nigeria would fully stop importing wheat seeds in the following four to five years and become self-sufficient in local production, increasing food security and output.
The minister visited the Sharada, AA Albasu Grains, and Alyumna Seeds Production Company Ware Houses of the National Wheat Council.