FG Targets 25 Million Tonnes Of Grain Output

• The Federal Government aims to increase annual grain production from 11 million to 25 million tonnes.

• The initiative is expected to boost food production and help reduce food inflation nationwide.

• About 500,000 farmers will benefit from the pilot phase of the agricultural financing programme.

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to increase Nigeria’s annual grain production from 11 million tonnes to 25 million tonnes through the Renewed Hope Smallholder Agricultural Financing Programme.

ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!

The initiative, launched in Zaria, Kaduna State, is aimed at boosting local food production, improving food security and reducing food inflation.

Speaking at the inauguration on Friday, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, said the programme would improve farmers’ access to quality inputs, increase crop yields and strengthen the country’s food supply.

According to him, the government is focused on increasing production rather than relying on food imports to address rising food prices.

Kyari said about two million bags of agricultural inputs would be distributed through registered farm aggregators, who will also provide extension services and implement a Guaranteed Minimum Price mechanism to protect farmers from post-harvest losses and exploitation.

He described smallholder farmers as the backbone of Nigeria’s food system, noting that although most cultivate less than one hectare of land, they account for about 85 per cent of the country’s food production.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Ayodeji Sotinrin, said the programme would provide subsidised fertilisers, certified hybrid seeds and other farm inputs through the bank’s single-digit, nine per cent interest financing facility.

READ ALSO: FG Arraigns Three Over Abduction of Oyo Pupils, Teachers

He said about 500,000 farmers would benefit during the current farming season, with the programme expected to expand to two million farmers next year and eventually five million farmers nationwide.

Sotinrin explained that if five million farmers cultivate one hectare each and produce at least five tonnes per hectare, Nigeria would generate about 25 million tonnes of grain annually, enough to meet domestic demand, reduce imports and create export opportunities.

He added that the bank also plans to finance irrigation projects to support year-round farming and improve agricultural productivity.

The programme is one of the Federal Government’s flagship agricultural interventions designed to expand access to finance, improve farm productivity and accelerate Nigeria’s drive towards food security.