By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Federal Government, on Tuesday, distributed agro-inputs to 14,000 farmers worth N2.8 billion in Anambra and Enugu States under the Adani-Omor Zone of Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme, Phase One (ATASP-1).

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this during the agro inputs distribution part of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) in ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone in Ikem within Isi-Uzo Council Area.

Kyari, represented by Dr Peter Kursh, said the distributed farm inputs to ATASP-1 farmers were redeemed at subsidized rate, adding: ‘This exercise has cost the programme about N5 billion.”

The minister said that Adani-Omor Zone had not benefited because it was off season at the time of planning, hence the need to implement this laudable programme in Enugu and Anambra States of the Adani-Omor Zone.

“The programme competitively procured Agro-Dealers that will provide Agricultural Inputs to about 14,000 ATASP-1 farmers in Adani-Omor i.e Enugu and Anambra States at 50 per cent subsidy with a total cost of about N2.8 billion.

“Each of the benefitting farmer will receive a package of two bags of inorganic NPK/Urea fertilizer, one bag of organic fertilizer, 10kg of seeds of either maize/rice/sorghum and four litres of Agro-chemicals delivered through ICT platform,” he said.

Kyari noted that the agricultural policy of Federal Government aims at the attainment of self-sustaining growth in all the sub- sectors of agriculture and the structural transformation necessary for the overall socio-economic development.

According to him, the policy also meant to ensure improvement in the quality of life of Nigerians.

He said: “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, Federal Government is currently implementing the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) across the nation.

“Farmers have been registered and agro-inputs are being distributed to the farmers in the last dry season and the current rainy season.

“This significant milestone marks a crucial step in our commitment to empowering our farmers and enhancing agricultural productivity.

“By providing quality inputs, we aim to support our farmers in achieving higher yields and ensuring food security for Nigeria.”

Flagging the distribution, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State appreciated Tinubu for his visionary agricultural policies as well as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and African Development Bank (AFDB) for their support to the state through AtASP-1.

Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Patrick Ubru, said that subsidised Input distribution is one of such interventions coming on the platform of the National Agriculture Growth Scheme (NAGS)-AP, through ATASP-1 project.

According to the governor, this is a crucial step towards enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring food security in our state.

He said: "The objective of the NAGS-AP project aligns perfectly with our vision of achieving food security, nutrition security, and sustainable development through agriculture.

“I commend the Federal Government for its commitment to providing agricultural inputs to our smallholder farmers, a move that resonates with the agenda of my administration in agriculture.”

Earlier, Gov. Chukwuma Soludo lauded President Bola Tinubu and African Development Bank (AFDB) for assisting smallholder farmers to grow and provision of infrastructure to boost food production through ATASP-1.

Soludo, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture in Anambra, Dr Foster Ihejiofor, said that the distribution is a fulfillment of Federal Government earlier promise to smallholder farmers in 2023.

“The ATASP-1 has been highly beneficial to the participating communities in Anambra State and contributed to the educational and health wellbeing of our people,” the governor said.

The National Programme Coordinator ATASP-1, Mr Mohammed Arabi, noted that “ATASP is a game changer” in agricultural development focusing on wheat, rice, cassava and sorghum within the country.

Arabi noted that ATASP-1 had recorded tremendous progress in the past years of its operation.

According to him, notably among the achievements are construction of socio-economic infrastructures such as primary schools, community health centres, boreholes and hand pump, VIP latrines and community markets.

“Other achievements included technology demonstration centres, feeder roads and construction and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities across the seven states of the programme,” he said.

Dr Romanus Egba, Zonal Programme Co-ordinator of ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone, appreciated the Federal, Anambra and Enugu State governments for providing enabling environment to work together to give subsidised agro-inputs to farmers in the zone.

Egba said that today, “an average person is a farmer and these agro-inputs will go a long for bumper harvest, food production and food sufficiency in the country.”

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Paulinus Orji, a sorghum farmer, thanked the Federal Government and ATASP-1 for making the subsidised agro-inputs possible.

“These inputs we collect today, we are going to get bumper and bountiful harvest from it in few months to come,” Orji said.

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