The Federal Government has rolled out the distribution of agricultural imputs to about 7,500 small holder women farmers from North Central States and the Federal Capital Territory FCT.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Nanono,who disclosed this during the programme on Thursday in Abuja, said the inputs was part of measures to alleviate the impact of Covid-19 pandemic and commemorate the International Women’s Day 2021 with theme’ Choose to challenge”.
The inputs include planting materials, growth enhancer and agro- chemicals in yam, cassava, potatoes, soybean,rice and maize.
Others include sesame,ginger, sorghum/ millet, cowpea and horticultural crops.
According to Nanono,” besides the distribution of inputs to the women, the ministry is also distributing production and processing equipment in an effort to reduce drudgery, improve efficiency,reduce cost of production and improve quality of product and produce from the operations.
‘ This will also assist them in building production assets that they can ordinarily not be able to afford.” he said.
He called on stakeholders to provide similar support to farmers in an effort to overcome hunger and poverty in the country while urging the beneficiaries to make good use of the value kits given to them
In his remarks, the Minister of the FCT, Alhaji Mohammed Bello, said the event signified the building of the local economy adding the roll out of the agricultural inputs will enable the women scale up agriculture to improve productivity.
The Minister of Women Affairs,Dame Pauline Tallen thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the initiative to cushion the effect of the pandemic.
She noted that history was being made at the event because it was an answered prayer for the women.
The National President of the Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation ( SWOFON) Mrs Mary Afan promised the judicious use of the kits for increased food production in the country,but appealed to the federal government to scale up security on the farms.
