The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has flagged off its food production project in eight communities in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State North Central Nigeria to boost food security.
The projects include the cultivation of 200 hectares of maize farm for the 2022 wet season, 5 solar-powered boreholes for dry season irrigation farming and to serve as a source of water supply for the communities and distribution of inputs.
The authority has also taken delivery of inputs such as seeds, herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers to about 600 beneficiary farmers through the traditional ruler and youth leaders.
The communities donated 618 hectares for the project, but for the first phase, 200 hectares would be cultivated with a target of 1000 metric tons of production.
Speaking on the project while on a visit to the farm, the executive secretary of NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, explained that the initiative is part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to ensure that no matter the level of food crises that may arise from the effect of the Russia/Ukraine war, Nigeria would have enough food for her citizens.
According to him, NALDA is encouraging farmers with the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to aggressively produce food by meeting them at their point of need in their localities.
“You can see the excitement In them, this being the first time they’re having Federal presence of any kind, this shows how committed Mr President is in reaching the unreached using agriculture.
“It also shows how committed Mr President is in achieving food security and engaging our youths.
“What NALDA is doing at this time is to encourage farmers and individuals to aggressively go into farming in order to achieve food security considering the situation the world would be going into as a result of the Russia/Ukraine war.
“So these steps we’re taking is to ensure that Nigeria does not experience any form of food shortage or go cap-in-hand looking for food.
He noted that after the wet season harvest, there are plans for NALDA to cultivate wheat in the state.
While addressing the beneficiaries from the eight communities, Prince Ikonne, said that the gesture is to ensure the communities enjoy less stressful ways of farming and engage the youths of the community productively thereby reducing crimes in the community and the society at large.
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He, however, assured them of NALDA’s continuous support all through the farming process through extension services to ensure maximum yields.
Prince Ikonne further assured the beneficiaries of market availability as NALDA would be off-taking from them during harvest.
While receiving the inputs on behalf of the communities, the traditional ruler of the communities, Kanankur Sule Longvel, commended NALDA for being the first to bring such an intervention to them.
Assuring the executive secretary that the inputs would be fully utilized, the traditional ruler appealed for the construction of access roads to the farms and tractors to be made available to enable them to engage in mechanised agriculture.
One of the beneficiaries, Helen Kafas, who spoke in Hausa language said women of the communities are excited and they came dancing and singing when the inputs arrived.
“These days. if one does not apply fertilisers on the farm, there’s not much yield. The herbicides would help us tackle weeds on our farms, and the fertiliser and the seeds would go a long way to boost our yields.”
Another beneficiary, Comfort Ezra, while also speaking in Hausa language said the initiative would boost their yields, put food on their tables and also help cater for their children.
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