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Jobs coming from Fed Govt, AfDB's wheat intervention

Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria has hailed implementation of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket Wheat Input Package for Dry Season Farming in Nigeria designed by African Development Bank (AfDB) as a boost for food and job creation in Nigeria.

Chairman, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, Kaduna state chapter, Malam Bashir Tanko, who made the remarks in Kaduna told journalists that Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has taken a bold step with the two programmes, noting that the two policies will help boost food security, job creation and improve economic status of wheat farmers across the country.

According to Tanko, wheat farmers in Kaduna state alone cultivated up to 35,000 hectares of land and produced over 300 tons of wheat in the 2022/ 2023 dry season farming.

He stated that with its unquantifiable support, the commitment of the Association towards revitalization of wheat farming cannot be overemphasized. He however, urged the National President, Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Musa Shehu Sheka to sustain his good work with the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari for sustainable wheat production in Nigeria.

Tanko said though the Kaduna state branch has fulfilled all the necessary requirements and sent a list of prospective wheat farmers to the national office of Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria for 2023/2024 wheat input package under GS fertilizer programme, but nothing has been done.

"It was learnt that 80per cent of the beneficiaries of the scheme are not wheat farmers directly or indirectly. The input went to the politicians, family, friends and business associates. If this negative trend continue it will create uncertainty in the future of wheat farming in Kaduna state.

“Despite this observed problem, the Association will continue mobilizing wheat farmers to sustain production with the little input they have at hand, while we urge the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to consider Wheat Farmers Association in handling distribution of the input for the survival and improvement of wheat production in Kaduna state and across Nigeria."

The Chairman believe that the current agriculture policy implementation by the Federal Government will help restore the glory of agriculture in the country and will also, among other things, help in saving billions of naira spent in importing wheat from other countries.

Tanko expressed appreciation about this the efforts put in place by Kaduna state government in providing all necessary support to help improve wheat production in the state and promised to justify confidence reposed on them by producing adequate wheat for the nation.