By Lanre Lawal
The Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of farm inputs and agricultural equipment to smallholder farmers in Yobe State, aimed at boosting food production and supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The flag-off ceremony held in Damaturu featured the distribution of power tillers, herbicides, liquid fertilizers, knapsack sprayers, water pumps, insecticides, and certified seeds, provided free of charge to farmers through cooperative groups, commodity associations, farmers with special needs, and internally displaced persons.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abba Kyari, the Director of Special Duties, Zarah Kachalla, said the programme reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to achieving national food security and easing farmers’ access to affordable inputs.
Yobe State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ali Mustapha Goniri, described the initiative as historic and noted the state government’s ongoing agricultural reforms, which have distributed over ₦33 billion worth of inputs to thousands of farmers in the last two years.
The Yobe State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Sulaiman Musa, said the exercise targets 50 cooperative groups and commodity associations, aiming to enhance food and nutrition security, create jobs, and build resilience in the agricultural sector.
Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, Maryam Yakubu of the Small Scale Women Farmers Association thanked the Federal Ministry, noting that the intervention would help reduce the cost of inputs, boost agricultural activities, and improve food production in Yobe State.
