The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammad Sabo Nanono, has flagged-off the distribution of agricultural inputs to Nigerian farmers, as part of measures to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic to boost food production in the country and avert food scarcity in 2021. The inputs distributed to smallholders farmers free of charge, were varieties of seeds of rice, maize, wheat, and palm seedlings while others like water pumps, irrigation kits, and seed planter would be given out at 75 percent subsidy. Nanono said the association was expected to distribute the seeds to their members for the 2020 cropping season. He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the inputs to produce food for the nation while calling on other stakeholders to provide similar support to farmers so that together they can defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. In his remarks, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El- Rufai, appreciated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration’s policies in the Agricultural sector from 2015, saying they would enable Nigeria to achieve food security and boost economic growth.

Source: The Guardian June 10, 2020 23:24 UTC