Food security: FG distributes farm inputs to Kilankwa community

The Federal Government said it has distributed free farm inputs to cluster farmers in Kilankwa community in Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to boost food security.

Dr Omole Olateju, Head of Extension Services, FCT Agricultural Development Project (ADP), at the distribution on Wednesday in Gwagwalada, said the initiative was from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to Olateju, the government has given the assurance that they will continue to assist farmers, because farmers need this kind of intervention on regular bases.

“This kind of intervention from the government will help the farmers improve their productivity and their standard of living.

“We expect this initiative from the government to continue.

“Not quite long, the data for dry season farmers was taken and I believe with time towards the end of the raining season’s planting season, arrangement will be put in place to empower dry season farmers.

“For Nigeria to be self sustaining in food and nutrition we have to continue to produce all year round, with this there will be enough food to sustain the economy,” he said.

Also, Mr Ahmadu Zegi, State Coordinator, FCT, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, said that the project was designed to help small holder farmers with farm inputs such as seeds, fertiliser and knapsack sprayers, among others to boost their production.

According to him, this will help to improve agricultural production and reduce poverty in our communities.

“This programme started in February 2024, the one we did in February we included fishery, but this time around, it is only crops and poultry we are distributing.

“We distributed day old chicks yesterday and today we are distributing crops. This programme also extends to all the 36 states including FCT,” he said.

Zegi explained that the mode of selecting farmers that benefited from the free farm inputs was by cluster system.

“We used Kilankwa community in Kwali Area Council as a place where the cluster farmers that benefited from the crop distribution were randomly selected.

“But that of farmers that benefited from the poultry distribution, it was spread across the six Area Councils of the FCT,” he said.

He thanked the government for such initiative, while calling on beneficiaries to make good use of the inputs they have received.

Also, the Chairman, Multipurpose Farmers, Kilankwa community, Kwali Area Council, Mr Abdullahi Jubril thanked the government for such gesture towards farmers.

Jubril said that the farm inputs would help to boost farming in Kilankwa community, adding that the government should also extend same to other farmers in FCT.

He also thanked the government for the cash sum, while assuring that the beneficiaries would make good use of the farm inputs they have received.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Mayaki Madaki said he was happy to be a beneficiary of the farm inputs.

He thanked the government, adding that it would go a long way to improve their productivity.

NEWSVERGE reports that the highlight of the event was the presentation of knapsack sprayers and chemicals, fertiliser, seed, power tiller and cash to the farmers.