Okechukwu Nnodim, AbujaIn a bid to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food production in Nigeria, the Federal Government has started the distribution of agricultural inputs to farmers nationwide. According to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the move would boost agricultural production and avert food scarcity in 2021. It said in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday that the inputs distributed to smallholder farmers included various varieties of seeds of rice, maize, wheat and palm seedlings. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, inaugurated the distribution exercise in Kaduna. He said, “The Federal Government will continue to support smallholder farmers with relevant inputs through associations and cooperatives to ensure that the country does not experience food shortages as a result of the pandemic.

Source: Punch June 09, 2020 00:22 UTC