The federal government says smallholder farmers remain the backbone of the country’s agricultural sector as they contribute significantly to national prosperity.

The permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Temitope Fadeshemi, stated this on Thursday at the training and empowerment of 250 farmers under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) in Abuja.

Mr Fadeshemi identified the empowerment of verified and validated farmers under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy (NPRGS) as a crucial initiative.

He charged participating farmers to see their role as paramount in shaping the nation’s agricultural success trajectory.

“This programme is not merely an investment in agriculture; it is an investment in the future of our nation. As we equip these farmers with the tools to enhance productivity, improve resilience, and embrace sustainable practices, we are laying the foundation for a more resilient and prosperous agricultural sector.

“Let us embrace this opportunity to build a future where smallholder farmers are not just beneficiaries of progress but active contributors to our nation’s growth,” he said.

Earlier, the head of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Deola Lordbanjou, said the inputs would boost farmers’ productivity.

He urged Nigerians also to do backyard farming to ease the pressure, saying it would go a long way to solve the hunger problem in the land.

One of the beneficiaries, Elizabeth Oyerinde, expressed joy over the intervention and assistance given to smallholder farmers.

She promised to make use of the inputs to achieve the purpose they were given.

The crop, poultry and fish farmers received sprayers, pesticides, quality maize, rice, vegetable seeds, fish feeds, and poultry feeds. 

(NAN)