President Bola Tinubu’s government has said its agricultural reforms were designed to ensure food availability, affordability, and accessibility for all Nigerians.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this in Maiduguri.

Mr Kyari highlighted the government’s ongoing interventions in the agricultural sector to tackle food insecurity and revive the national economy.

He said the ministry had adopted a multi-pronged strategy to address challenges such as insecurity, flooding, and import dependency, particularly in critical areas like wheat and rice production.

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

He noted that Cross River has become the first southern state to join the wheat production drive, marking a significant milestone in diversifying the crop’s geographic spread.

Mr Kyari also said fertiliser distribution under the programme had boosted rice production by 58,000 tonnes, enabling the federal government to subsidise rice supply to states affected by flooding.

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

The minister stressed the need to protect both consumers and producers, noting that “80 per cent of our food is produced by local farmers.”

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

With Nigeria’s population projected to reach 400 million by 2050, Mr Kyari said the government was focused on mechanised agriculture and youth empowerment to guarantee long-term food security.

He said the government was also working to restore national assets, including tractors and essential equipment, to boost productivity.

To reduce post-harvest losses, Mr Kyari announced a bilateral agreement with Brazil focused on the preservation, processing, and storage of perishable food items.

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

The minister warned against misuse of government-supplied agricultural machinery, urging farmers to make judicious use of such equipment.

He further revealed that only three of Nigeria’s silo sites were currently functional, but plans were underway to reactivate the remaining facilities.

“The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security will collaborate with stakeholders to ensure these critical storage facilities are fully utilised,” Mr Kyari said.

(NAN)