Agric minister says FG tackling food insecurity with wheat, rice farming programmes

Abubakar Kyari, minister of agriculture and food security, says the federal government is tackling food insecurity with wheat and rice farming programmes.

According to NAN, Kyari spoke during a media briefing in Maiduguri, Borno state.

The minister said the government is adopting a multi-pronged strategy to tackle food insecurity and revive the national economy.

He said the approach also addresses challenges such as insecurity, flooding, and dependency on food imports — particularly wheat and rice.

“As part of efforts to reduce the over six million tonnes of wheat currently imported annually, we have launched a national wheat farming programme,” Kyari said.

The minister noted that Cross River is the first state in southern Nigeria to join the wheat production initiative, marking a significant milestone in diversifying the crop’s geographic spread.

Kyari added that the programme had also boosted rice production by 58,000 tonnes through fertiliser distribution, enabling the government to subsidise rice for flood-affected states.

“In addition to wheat, the ministry has championed a successful rice programme, leading to positive harvests nationwide,” he said.

He stressed the importance of protecting both producers and consumers, noting that 80 percent of food consumed in the country is produced by local farmers.

“Our immediate priority is to address affordability and ensure every Nigerian has access to safe and nutritious food,” Kyari said.

With Nigeria’s population projected to hit 400 million by 2050, the minister said the government is focused on mechanised farming and youth empowerment to guarantee long-term food security.

He added that efforts are underway to restore national agricultural assets, including tractors and other essential equipment, to increase productivity.

Also, Kyari said Nigeria had entered a bilateral agreement with Brazil on the preservation, processing, and storage of perishable food items to reduce post-harvest losses.

He also said Nigeria had partnered with Belarus to provide aggregation services aimed at significantly increasing output.

In addition, the minister warned against the misuse of government-supplied agricultural equipment and urged farmers to make judicious use of it.

He also revealed that only three of Nigeria’s silo sites are currently functional, saying that plans are underway to reactivate the others.

Kyari added that the ministry will collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the critical storage facilities are fully utilised.