The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme, Agro-pocket (NAGS-AP), commenced the distribution of subsidized farm inputs to smallholder farmers in Anambra and Enugu on Tuesday.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony held in Ikem, Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, announced that 14,000 farmers under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program Phase-One (ATASP-1) in the Adani-Omor Zone would benefit from the program.
Kyari, represented by Dr. Peter Kush, Director of the Project Coordinating Unit in the Ministry, stated that the farm inputs were provided at subsidized rates, adding, “This exercise has cost the program about N5 billion.”
He noted that the Adani-Omor Zone had not benefitted previously due to being off-season at the time of planning, which necessitated the implementation of the program in Enugu and Anambra States.
“The competitively procured program will provide agricultural inputs to about 14,000 ATASP-1 farmers in the Adani-Omor zone, encompassing Enugu and Anambra States, at a 50 percent subsidy, totaling about N2.8 billion.”
“Each benefiting farmer will receive a package consisting of two bags of inorganic NPK/Urea fertilizer, one bag of organic fertilizer, 10 kg of seeds (maize/rice/sorghum), and four liters of agrochemicals delivered through an ICT platform,” he said.
Kyari emphasized that the federal government’s agricultural policy aims for self-sustaining growth in all subsectors of agriculture, fostering the structural transformation necessary for overall socio-economic development.
He added that the policy also seeks to improve the quality of life for Nigerians.
“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government is currently implementing the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) nationwide.
“Farmers have been registered, and agro-inputs are being distributed to them during the last dry season and the current rainy season.
“This significant milestone marks a crucial step in our commitment to empowering farmers and enhancing agricultural productivity.
“By providing quality inputs, we aim to assist our farmers in achieving higher yields and ensuring food security for Nigeria.”
During the distribution flag-off, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his visionary agricultural policies, as well as to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the African Development Bank (AFDB) for their support of the state through ATASP-1.
Mbah, represented by Mr. Patrick Ubru, Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, stated that the subsidized input distribution is one of several interventions arising from the National Agriculture Growth Scheme (NAGS)-AP, through the ATASP-1 project.
According to the governor, this is a critical step towards enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring food security in the state.
“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 my administration’s agricultural agenda.”
During the presentation of the items to the beneficiaries in Ikem, the National Programme Coordinator of ATASP-1, Mr. Mohammed Arabia, emphasized the program’s impact.
Earlier, Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State praised President Bola Tinubu and the African Development Bank (AFDB) for their support to smallholder farmers and for providing infrastructure to boost food production through ATASP-1.
Soludo, represented by Dr. Foster Ihejiofor, Commissioner for Agriculture in Anambra, noted that the distribution fulfills the Federal Government’s earlier promise to smallholder farmers in 2023.
“The ATASP-1 has been highly beneficial to participating communities in Anambra State and has contributed to the educational and health well-being of our people,” the governor said.
Mr. Mohammed Arabi, the National Programme Coordinator of ATASP-1, noted that “ATASP is a game changer” in agricultural development, focusing on wheat, rice, cassava, and sorghum across the country.
Arabi highlighted the significant progress ATASP-1 had made in recent years.
He mentioned notable achievements, including the construction of socio-economic infrastructure such as primary schools, community health centers, boreholes, hand pumps, VIP latrines, and community markets.
“Other accomplishments include technology demonstration centers, feeder roads, and the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities across the seven states involved in the program,” he added.
Dr. Romanus Egba, Zonal Programme Coordinator of ATASP-1 Adani-Omor Zone, expressed his appreciation to the Federal, Anambra, and Enugu State governments for creating an enabling environment that allows them to collaborate in providing subsidized agro-inputs to farmers in the region.
Egba noted that today, “an average person is a farmer, and these agro-inputs will contribute significantly to bumper harvests, food production, and food sufficiency in the country.”
One of the beneficiaries, Mr. Paulinus Orji, a sorghum farmer, extended his gratitude to the Federal Government and ATASP-1 for facilitating the availability of subsidized agro-inputs.
“With these inputs we are collecting today, we can expect bumper and bountiful harvests in a few months,” Orji remarked.
