From Our Correspondent
Abuja, Jan. 11, (AEP News) The Federal Government is targeting an estimated 472,000 metric tonnes of wheat product at the end of the 2023/2024 dry season.
Mr Ishaku Buba, National Project Coordinator, National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), announced this at a Stakeholders Review and Planning meeting in Abuja on Thursday in Abuja.
Buba said the projection is at an average yield of four metric tonnes per hectare.
According to him, NAGS-AP stakeholders aimed to review the implementation of the 2023/2024 dry season wheat production implemented in the fifteen states of the Federation.
“This is based on their respective comparative advantage and preparatory meeting to chart a new course for the implementation of the second phase for rice, maize and cassava,” he said.
“The 2023/2024 dry season implemented via the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) project focus on four major crops. These are wheat, rice, maize and cassava,” Buba said.
He hinted that the programme started with wheat production in the 15 wheat producing states.
The states include Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
According to him, the federal government chose to bregin with wheat production because the crop was time specific in nature.
“We designed the implementation under the 2023/2024 dry season programme to be implemented in two phases. That is, wheat value chain from Nov. 15, 2023 to Dec.15, 2023.
“This will later extend to Dec. 20, 2023 for Jigawa and Borno.
“For rice, maize and cassava value chains the programme is slated for January and February,” Buba explained.
Out of 123,000 hecttares targetted for the programme, 118,657 hectares were redeemed.
“It is our expectation that at the end of the implementation period of the wheat production progrmame, an estimated 472,000 metric tonnes of wheat product at an average yield of 4 metric tons per hectare would be realised,” the coordinator said.
He listed the challenges militating against the programme to include network interruptions, poor internet network leading to communication gap. This keeps farmers redundant for some times.
Also speaking, acting Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mrs Oluwatoyin Alade said the success achieved was a testament to the dedication and hard work of those involved in the management of the programme.
Represented by Mr Ibrahim Tanimu, Director, Planning and Policy Coordination, ministry of Agriculture, Alade said the records we achieved 97 percent redemption.
“We have come together here, not necessarily to celebrate our seeming success, but also to admit that a whole lot of inimical things have happened downstream.
“We are aware that round tripping has been rife. Farmers, agro-dealers, helpline staff, security agents have all had rogue elements in their ranks who sought to make ‘negative’ profit from this programme,” she said. (AEP News)
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