The Federal Government on Wednesday distributed rice seedlings and related inputs to farmers in Ebonyii and Ogun states.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Nanono, was represented in Ebonyi state by a director in the ministry, Mrs Khalima Babangida and in Ogun state by Mr Usman Bashir, the FAMARD Assistant Director on Rice Value-Chain.
Items received by the farmers include 50kg bags of certified seeds, NPK fertiliser, Urea fertiliser, growth enhancer (soil amended) as well as pesticides.
The minister said the gesture was intended to boost wet season rice farming and is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The items were freely distributed to farmers to boost rice production.
Nanono commended the Ebonyi Government for providing safe environment for farmers and urged the beneficiaries to utilise the items to enhance rice production.
He also warned them against selling or misusing the inputs received.
He said: “The 50-kilogramme bags of rice seedling is a high-yield improved variety (Faro 44) and it is expected that each beneficiary will receive one bag that will cover one hecter of farm land.
“It is also our expectation that beneficiaries will have bumper harvest and luckily, Ebonyi is the only state in the South-East that is benefitting from the programme.
“The inputs are not for sale and this is the first time any government is doing something like this to farmers freely. It has not happened before.
“Federal government is going to monitor how the inputs are utilised to ensure that they are not diverted or sold.
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“Much has been given to you and much is expected from you,” Nanono said.
He assured the farmers of federal government’s continued assistance to ensure food sufficiency in Ebonyi and the country at large.
Earlier, the state Coordinator of FMARD, Mr William Obazi, thanked the federal government for its intervention and urged beneficiaries to use the items to boost rice production and make the commodity affordable.
He said: “Our agricultural extension officers will monitor your performances and ensure that you are going to use the inputs wisely.
“Please, always come to us for proper assistance, if you do not know how to use or apply any of the inputs.
“Do not sell or misuse any of the items,” Obazi said.
Also, the Project Manager, Agriculture Development Programme (ADP), Chief Okike Onwuasonye, lauded the federal government and JICA for the initiative.
Onwuasonyed promised that the beneficiaries would deploy the inputs for the purpose they were intended.
“We have not disappointed the federal government in any of the intervention programmes in the state.
“We will do what is expected of us with the inputs so that farmers in the state will continue to benefit from other interventions,” he said.
In Ogun, the minister also added that the initiative would boost the ongoing effort of the ministry on its various interventions aimed at alleviating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and effect of flood disaster and disclosed that each farmer would get complete inputs to cultivate one hectare of farm land.
The minister, however, urged the FMARD and ADP officers in the state to monitor the activities of the farmers in order to curb the farmers from diverting or selling the input.
He, however, appealed to the farmers to utilise the inputs judiciously to boost food production, adding that it will also encourage government to continue its support to farmers.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Adeola Odedina, represented by the Programme Manager, Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme, Mrs Taiwo Ayansanwo, commended the federal government and JICA for the programme which is aimed at ensuring food security.
Odedina said the input support would boost agriculture and further complement the effort of state government in increasing food production and employment generation.
Earlier in his welcome address, Mr Ganiu Olawunmi, the Ogun State Coordinator, said the programme was to encourage and restore the hope of rice farmers in the state.
Olawunmi said that all the beneficiaries were from 15 smallholder rice farmers associations from different local government areas of the state.
He noted that the Ogun State Rice Farmers were so lucky to be among the 10 states to benefits from the second batch of the inputs support.
He called on the farmers to take advantage of the initiative and ensure good agricultural practice.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Patricia Martins, Mr Abiodun David and Mr Akintola Jacob, appreciated the federal government, JICA and OGADEP for the support.
They said that this would go a very long way in boosting food production in state.
They, however, pledged that they would make judicious use of the inputs given to them.
