By Deborah Christopher
The federal government has reiterated it readiness to support small scale farmers especially women, noting that the government is aware of the adverse effects of the pandemic on farmers.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq noted that government has invested in the establishment of massive Social Investment Programmes to support farmers.
This was contained in a statement made available by the Special Assistant Media to the Minister, Nneka Anibeze.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development flagged off the distribution of agricultural inputs to small holder farmers affected by covid 19 at the Old Parade ground in Abuja yesterday
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development says it will join forces with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to ensure that small scale farmers affected by the Covid19 pandemic are duly supported.
Farouq said “Farmers have been mostly hit following the effects of restricted movements, closure of markets, reduced livelihoods of people which also reduced marketing outlets, the unavailability and price hike of inputs. Many could not fully produce their commodities due to hardship.
“It is in recognition of this that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development answered to the directive of Mr President to mount a nationwide palliative programme to support our poor and vulnerable farmers. I congratulate the Honourable Minister and I assure him that my Ministry will support this initiative fully”.
Farouq encouraged the farmers stating that the federal government’s school feeding programme will patronize the farmers and make use of their produce to feed the children.
She however advised the farmers to be productive as the sustenance of Agriculture is paramount to adding to the economy of any state.
“I want to assure the Honourable Minister that our relevant interventions under the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) fully complement this initiative. The N-Power interventions will ensure that appropriate skills and competences are delivered to the small scale farmers to ensure effectiveness and productivity.
“The Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) will also ensure that timely loans are delivered to the farmers especially in the FarmerMoni package, to expand their production and sustain their businesses. Furthermore, our National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGFP) will serve as an immediate off-taker to the farm produce for feeding children in our public primary schools. This is a deliberate market for the community farmers on one hand and also a support to poor children to go to school effectively”.
In his address, the minister of Agriculture and Rural development stated that the essence of the program is to empower rural women in the farming sector.
“It is my pleasure to roll out the distribution of agricultural inputs to about 7500 small holder women farmers from the north central states and the FCT, to alleviate the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on them”.