Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari disclosed this in Calabar when he, alongside Governor Bassey Otu, represented by his Deputy, Peter Odey, and international development partners, flagged off the commencement of the 2024/2025 National Dry Season farming and commencement of wheat cultivation.
The event was held at the Cross River Basin Development Authority with arrays of critical stakeholders from the agriculture sector witnessing it.
He explained that with the reintroduction of the national dry season farming to boost year-round agricultural production, the loan will be handy and will guarantee national food security in the country.
The minister said the initiative is under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket ,NAGS-AP, Project in the state.
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He said the government has declared an emergency on food production to enable all Nigerians get easy access to quality and nutritional food at affordable rates.
He said the government wants to use the agricultural sector for national economic revival through increased production of some staple food crops such as wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, and cassava during both dry and wet season farming.
He disclosed that 107,429 wheat farmers have been supported under phase 1 of the 2023/2024 dry season, 43,997 rice farmers under the second phase of the 2023/2024 dry season and recently 192,095 rice, maize, sorghum/millet, soyabean and cassava farmers under the 2024 wet season across the 37 States including Abuja.
He noted that Cross River is leading 16 other states in wheat production, adding that over 3000 wheat farmers have been listed to benefit from support to grow the grain.