Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Farmers in Enugu State have commended the Federal Government for distributing agricultural inputs and equipment to boost food production in the state.
The distribution, carried out on Thursday by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), provided small-scale farmers with items such as herbicides, fertilizers, knapsack sprayers, solar water pumps, chisels, rice growth enhancers, cassava organic fertilizer, and other farm tools.
Beneficiaries included members of commodity associations, cooperative groups, persons with disabilities, farmers with special needs, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
Mr. Patrick Mbah, Chairman of the Graduate Farmers Association, Enugu, thanked the government for the intervention but appealed for urgent action to address the menace of herders destroying farmlands.
“We lost 200 hectares of rice to herdsmen in 2024,” he said, noting that the inputs would help cushion their losses. He assured the ministry that the items would be put to effective use.
Another beneficiary, Mr. Benedict Ekwochi, Vice Chairman of the People With Disabilities (PWDs) Farmers in Enugu, described the support as “a powerful empowerment” that would enhance food production in the coming year.
Distributing the items on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, the ministry’s Head of Information, Mr. Ikemefuna Ezeaja, said the initiative was part of efforts to boost agricultural productivity, mitigate food crises, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of zero hunger.
Kyari noted that the Tinubu administration had declared a national state of emergency on food security in July 2023 and was committed to strengthening partnerships with non-governmental organizations and the private sector to tackle hunger, drive economic growth, and reduce poverty.
“The ministry has rolled out programmes to address farmers’ challenges by providing essential inputs and machinery to smallholder farmers who cannot afford them at market rates,” he said.
Earlier, the FMAFS State Director in Enugu, Mrs. Ngozi Nwakeze, urged beneficiaries to share the inputs with members of their cooperatives and ensure proper utilization to achieve a bumper harvest next year. She also assured that the ministry would monitor usage to ensure accountability.
