From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The National Rice Producers, Processors, Millers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NARPPMMAN), has distributed farm inputs to over 1000 farmers in Kogi.
Speaking at the inauguration in Lokoja, yesterday, the National Prisdent of the association, Mr. Mustapha Ahmadu, noted that the inputs was to boost dry season farming activities of farmers affected by the recent flood disaster.
Ahmadu said that the project would mitigate the devastating flood effects in the lives of the farmers, prevent food crisis and ensure food availability in the country.
He added that the gesture would also empower farmers with low economic structures to be able to cope with the impending challenges ahead of the Federal Government’s plan to remove fuel subsidy in 2023.
He said the association had mobilised its members across the 14 States especially those affected by flood to benefit from the 14 hectares’ dry season farming project sponsored by the association and its private partners.
He urge beneficiaries to guard the initiative jealously to achieve the desired goals and for its sustainability.
He further appealed to traditional rulers of each benefited local government to encourage their subjects to adhere to the agreement by paying their equity loans to attract more Agric projects to the communities.
He enjoined the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development not to relent its effort at ensuring that Nigeria attain food sufficiency.
He stressed that food security remained fundamental and panacea to some of the societal problems facing the nation.
Ahmadu sympathised with flood victims and commended Governor Yahaya Bello for working tirelessly in mitigating the flood effects residents.
The NARPPMMAN’s President further praised the governor for creating the enabling environment for agricultural businesses to thrives in the state.
In his remarks, Kogi Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr David Apeh, appreciated the association for the initiative and assured that the state ministry of Agriculture would give necessary support to the programme.
Apeh, who was represented by Mr Enejoh Alih, a Director in the ministry, said over 200 two hundred communities were affected by the recent flooding.
The commissioner appealed to the association to monitor the distribution of the inputs to ensure they get to the targeted farmers in the rural communities..
Apeh advised beneficiaries not to sell the inputs, but make proper use of them to better their lives and contribute their quotas to the development of Agriculture in the state.
On his part, the Vice National Prisdent, North Central Zone, Mr Ishaku Samaila, said the dry season private partnership project of the association was an initiative to ensure that farmers get the necessary inputs at a right time to boost food production in the country.
He explained that farmers would provide the equity contribution of the cost, and advised them to make judicious use of the inputs.
This, he said would enable them to pay the loans to enable the association do more for them in subsequent farming seasons.
The state’s Chairman of the Association, Mr Ikani Davidson, expressed the commitment of the association in Kogi to partner with the state government and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the association achieved the set objectives in food productions.
Two beneficiaries, Ebiloma Ogbogbo and Memunat Suleiman, appreciated the association for the initiative and promised to use the inputs judiciously according to expectations.
The inputs distributed include: Rice seed, fertilizers, herbicides among others.