The Federal Government has stepped up efforts to strengthen food production by providing free farming equipment and inputs to 31 smallholder farmers’ cooperatives in Kebbi State.
The beneficiary cooperatives were selected from all the 21 local government areas of the state.
Each cooperative received a comprehensive support package comprising 20 cartons of liquid organic fertiliser, a rice de-stoner, food dehydrator, maize thresher, two knapsack sprayers, a multi-purpose thresher and a smoke cleaning machine.
At the official flag-off ceremony held in Argungu, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, said the intervention aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises agricultural development and food sufficiency.
Represented by the Director, Federal Department of Cooperatives, Dr Muhammad Bashir-Abdulkadir, the minister said the initiative was designed to empower smallholder farmers, expand their income opportunities and strengthen the country’s food security framework.
According to him, achieving food security remains a core national objective and a major focus of the global 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
He noted that the current administration had introduced far-reaching economic reforms aimed at boosting productivity, generating employment and easing the cost of living, alongside emergency and humanitarian responses to mitigate food shortages.
The minister recalled that a state of emergency on food security was declared in July 2023, underscoring the government’s resolve to place agriculture at the centre of national development.
He added that the ministry had rolled out several programmes and projects targeted at addressing farmers’ challenges, while ensuring that food remained available, accessible and affordable for Nigerians.
Kyari said continuous collaboration between federal and state governments, as well as partnerships with non-governmental organisations and the private sector, would remain critical to achieving sustainable food security, economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction.
He further reiterated the administration’s commitment to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the zero-hunger target, while tackling food-related challenges nationwide.
Earlier, the State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Hadi Abdurrazak-Muhammad, said the initiative was aimed at supporting smallholder farmers and enhancing their contribution to national food production.
He explained that the programme, implemented in collaboration with the state government, was intended to boost farmers’ morale and improve agricultural output, urging beneficiaries to make proper use of the distributed items.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Argungu Local Government Area, Sani Aliyu-Gulma, represented by the council’s Agriculture Councillor, Buhari Usman, commended both levels of government for the intervention.
The Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Muhammad Sama’ila-Mera, offered prayers for sustained success of the programme, expressing optimism that it would significantly enhance farming activities across the state.
Some beneficiaries, including Alhaji Bello Kalgo of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and Hajiya Fatima Abubakar of the KADAGE Women Farmers’ Association, said the support would help boost productivity, improve livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to the country’s drive for food sufficiency.