The Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, says the Federal Government is giving wheat farmers a 50 per cent subsidy in the upcoming dry season farming.
The gesture is to boost the massive production of the grain commodity in the country.
Kyari, who spoke to newsmen shortly after inspecting assorted wheat seed productions in Kano Friday, revealed the gesture was part of FG’s effort to achieve food sufficiency, starting from wheat production.
He said with the move, Nigeria would completely stop importations of wheat seeds and be self-sufficient with local production that would enhance food production and security.
“We are fully committed towards massive wheat production in the upcoming dry seasons farming for local and foreign export actions,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kyari also visited Jigawa to supervise the seeds production. He expressed satisfaction that the local production was a vital component of the farming project.
“Jigawa State has shown a lot of interest in wheat farming by providing 40,000 hectares of land for wheat farming, closing on the 70,000 hectares set aside by the Federal Government to achieve this year,” he said. “The breeder and foundation seeds were checked before it became satisfied to phase out wheat importation before next year’s irrigation farming.
“This is because importation of the wheat is taking a lot of Nigeria’s foreign reserve.”
The minister subsequently visited the National Wheat Council Ware House at Sharada, AA Albasu Grains Company and Alyumna Seeds Production Company.
(NAN)
