Federal Government Launches New Programme To Boost Food Production

• The federal government has a new initiative that it believes will help boost food security in the country.
• The initiative, which is the brainchild of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, is called ‘Operation Empty The Stores.’
• The plan is to distribute equipment and inputs to farmers nationwide to increase food production

Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of business journalism experience with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends

Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, the Permanent Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, has announced a new initiative named 'Operation Empty The Stores' to boost food production.

The announcement was made during a one-day workshop themed 'Building Partnership with The Media for Food Security', held in Abuja on Wednesday, January 22.

Speaking to journalists, Ogunbiyi said the initiative.is aimed at ensuring that the ministry opens up all its stores across the states to distribute all equipment and inputs in storage to farmers.

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He stressed that equipment and the inputs in the store are not meant for the store, but for the farmers, BusinessDay reports.

Ogunbiyi said the workshop provides a platform to underscore the ministry's commitment to transparency and engagement with the media.

His words:

“This workshop is a testament to our Ministry’s commitment to openness, transparency, and constructive engagement with the media.

"We recognise that a well-informed media is essential to promoting a better understanding of the agricultural sector and its impact on our nation’s development."

Ogunbiyi further noted that the importance of agriculture in the national economy cannot be over-emphasised, especially with the global economic challenges and the need to diversify our economy.

He said.

“There is therefore, the need to mobilise, educate and sensitise the Nigeria populace on the need to embrace agriculture."

Govt budget for Agriculture in 2025

Analysis of the Agriculture Ministry’s 2025 budget reveals that the Federal Government plans to spend N2 billion through the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) to clear land for farming activities in select states.

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Additionally, N200 million has been allocated for land preparation on NALDA farms in states.

Also, NALDA will spend N100 million to dig trenches on farms.

Another proposal allocates N80 million to purchase seeds, fertilisers, agrochemicals, and other farming inputs.

According to the Sun, N86.4 million is also set aside to purchase motorcycles and cargo tricycles to support farm supervision in specific states.

These figures are part of the N47.9 trillion 2025 appropriation bill submitted by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly on Thursday, November 14, 2024.

FG launches farmer registry to improve food security

In a similar development, Legit.ng reported that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has launched a NIN-backed farmer registry to link farmers to farmlands.

The registry will also help farmers get support from the government.

The ministry promises that the registry is connected to the G2P card system to protect farmers from fraud.

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Source: Legit.ng