THE Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Abubakar Kyari has announced that the country ais expecting a bountiful harvest by the end of the year.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), food inflation has surged to 40%, causing essential goods to become unaffordable for millions of Nigerians.
However, Kyari assured that the Federal Government has implemented strategies to tackle this issue, including increasing agricultural production.
“We expect to see a bumper harvest around October-November this year, barring any natural disasters,” Kyari stated during an interview
“I assure you that a bumper harvest is on the way,” he added.
He noted that one contributing factor to the current food scarcity is seasonal challenges.
“The period we are currently in is critical for agriculture; this is known as the lean season, which occurs between June and July leading up to the next harvest,” the minister explained.
In addition to seasonal factors, Kyari cited other issues such as diminishing arable land, flooding, and insecurity as contributing to the food shortage.
“The reduction in available agricultural land, flooding, housing challenges, and insecurity… along with an aging farming population, as fewer young people are entering the agricultural sector,” he remarked.
Kyari also mentioned the government’s commitment to advancing mechanized farming by distributing fertilizers to farmers and acquiring tractors.
“We have placed orders. It’s not as simple as picking something off the shelf. I traveled to Belarus to order 200 tractors and 9,000 other farming implements,” he said on the current affairs program.
“The primary tool for farming in Nigeria is still a hoe, which is outdated. That’s why we are focusing on mechanization,” Kyari concluded.