- Federal government disclosed plans to boost food production with high-yield seedlings for dry-season farming
- Minister Wale Edun stresses the urgency of high-quality seeds in transforming Nigeria's agriculture
- Program designed to align with President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda
In an effort to boost food production and combat increasing food costs, the Federal Government (FG) has disclosed plans to implement a new program to provide high-yield seedlings for dry-season crops.
This information was revealed during a meeting attended by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, along with senior officials from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and Flour Mills of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday, September 24.
High-yield seedlings program aims to boost food production
The Director of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Mohammed Manga, in a statement, relayed Edun’s remarks, noting that the initiative was “to revolutionise Nigeria’s agricultural sector, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.”
He noted that the meeting was focused on hastening the execution of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme – Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP).
The NAGS-AP team outlined their daily operational strategies and shared a finalised work plan for the 2024/2025 dry season.
Meeting emphasises strategies for immediate agricultural outcomes
The primary goal of the NAGS-AP initiative is to drive higher productivity and output among farmers, ensuring a notable effect on both food security and agricultural growth nationwide.
The initiative is set to redefine Nigeria's agricultural sector, and the meeting signified a major milestone in efforts to boost food security and economic prosperity, reflecting the administration’s policy priorities.
A key focus of the meeting was on strategies aimed at delivering immediate outcomes.
The statement revealed that the Minister highlighted the urgent necessity for an effective input system during the dry season, with a focus on the significance of high-quality, resilient seeds to maximise yields.
Nigeria faces food crisis as billions lost to post-harvest waste
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Nigeria's food security crisis is being exacerbated by large-scale post-harvest losses, with nearly half of the country's agricultural produce going to waste each year.
According to the report, Inadequate storage, poor infrastructure, and limited market access are key factors driving these significant post-harvest losses, deepening the country's food crisis.