The Federal Government, on Thursday, unveiled plans to partner with the 36 State Governments through the provision of comprehensive farm inputs to rural farmers as part of ongoing efforts aimed at ensuring food security in the country.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Mohammad Abubakar, disclosed this during the 2021 budget performance and 2022 budget defence session held at the instance of the joint Committees on Agricultural Production and Services, and Rural Development.
He explained that the comprehensive farm inputs will be provided to rural farmers through stakeholders such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the financial inclusiveness in the agricultural sector, mitigate adverse effects of COVlD-19 and support formers affected by incidents of flood disaster.
The Minister who was represented by Permanent Secretary, Mr Ernest Umakhihe, said in the key deliverables in the 2022 budget include: rehabilitation and construction of water harvesting structures and mini-earth dams in States to augment rain-fed agriculture, assist dry season farming to increase agricultural production in the country.
The Ministry is also expected to support the food and nutrient programmes to improve the quality and safety of food production-consumption on agricultural value chain undertakings through proper standardisation, certification and control.
He said the Ministry will also fast-track the recapitalisation of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation and Bank of Agriculture in collaboration with CBN, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and BPE.
“Implement the Green imperative Project (GIP) in collaboration with the Brazilian Government that seeks to provide 10,000 units of Tractors; 50,000 units of assorted implement and equipment to be assembled in the country.
“Support the development of Private sector-led Agricultural commodity exchange to enable Nigeria to become Agricultural Commodity Marketing hub in the West African Region and beyond,” Minister added.
He said the total sum of N291.416 billion was proposed for the agricultural sector in the 2022 fiscal year, out of which N71.840 billion is for Personnel Cost and N3.704 billion is proposed as Overhead Cost while the sum of N215. 872 billion is for capital projects and programmes.
The Minister who said N280.315 billion was appropriated to the agricultural sector in the 2021 budget, however, noted that the reduction of the Ministry’s core mandate budget from N46.990 billion to N29.938 (36.3per cent) make it difficult to deliver the desired impact.
While expressing satisfaction over the level of implementation of the 2021 Appropriation Act and various programmes outlined in the N291.416 billion for 2022 fiscal year, Chairman, House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Hon. Dandutse Mohammed said the Committee commended various efforts of the federal government through policy formulation and special intervention programmes especially in areas of funding agricultural activities and creation of employment, as well as the devastating impact of COVlD-19 on the implementation of the 2021 budget performance.
“Therefore, as a Committee, we will work with all the MDAs to ensure that we intensify oversight activities of the Ministry and Agencies to guarantee optimum performance and deliver the expected objectives of the programmes and policies,” he noted.
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