Nigeria risks food crisis over COVID-19 pandemic ― Taraba Commission

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5 years ago

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The Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr David Ishaya, on Wednesday, said Nigeria risked food crisis as a result of the effects of COVID-19.

Ishaya told our correspondent in Jalingo that the procurement and distribution of fertilizers and other farm inputs were delayed across many States because of the COVID-19 lockdown and border closures.

The commissioner said the issue of the food crisis was extensively discussed recently when the President held a meeting with Governors, officials of the Central Bank and Minister of Agriculture.

“For us in Taraba, we have not failed farmers in the procurement and distribution of fertilisers and other inputs at a subsidise rate, but till date, we have not been able to get fertilizers to our farmers.

“We have since paid for over 100 trucks of fertilizers, but the company has not been able to blend the fertiliser for us because of the difficulty in sourcing the raw materials from Morocco and Switzerland as a result of the pandemic.

“It’s not about Taraba alone, but the whole country. The Presidential initiative on fertiliser headed by the governor of Kebbi State has not been able to procure fertilizer for the country and this portends danger for our food security,” he said.

Ishaya noted that the Taraba State government have sourced 20 trucks of fertiliser from the retail market for distribution to farmers especially for dry season farming to boost food production.

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Nigeria risks food crisis