The federal government says plans are underway to boost food production in the country through mechanisation.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, stated this while speaking with reporters at the end of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) meeting on Saturday in Abuja.

The meeting was a stakeholders review and preparatory meeting for implementing the country’s second phase of 2023-2024 dry season farming.

The minister said mechanisation farming was crucial for agriculture as it would support food production in the country.

”President Bola Tinubu said he is going to give us all the support for mechanisation, and we will soon run out of the mechanisation programme,” he said.

On the dry season farming, Mr Kyari said a dimension of encumbrance to the dry season wheat farming under the NAGS-AP were cases of farmers’ inability to pay their component of the input cost.

” The good news is that upon realisation of this, we got the message to President Tinubu, and he has graciously directed that additional support be given to farmers to cushion such effect in subsequent interventions,“ the minister said.

In a goodwill message, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, said the importance of the agricultural sector could not be overemphasised.

He said agriculture is one of the key economic sectors as it is the main objective of Mr Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Mr Edun said if there is an abundant supply of food, there would be a reduction in inflation that would also lead to a decrease in poverty and the creation of jobs and a much more stable economy.

On his part, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, observed that the country has been blessed with capable agriculture ministers to provide food security.

Mr Bagudu, who said the federal government had taken measures to ensure the economy was stable, assured that more interventions would help farmers in the country.

Also, the president of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kabir Ibrahim, said the country’s quest to achieve food security would be expedited through a mechanised farming system.

(NAN)