Farmers in Nigeria have hive a sigh of relief as government says it has put the official price of fertilizer at N3,000 per bag.
Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono who made this known to newsmen at his handover ceremony in Abuja, on Thursday said government has also approved N600 billion as Agricultural Support Fund for small-scale farmers.
Eight days after President Muhammadu Buhari sacked the now former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, and appointed Mohammed Abubakar as his successor, the duo finally met for a hand-over ceremony at the resumption of duty by the new Minister.
During the handover ceremony, the former Minister explained the steps government has taken to fast track food security in the country which includes the approval of N600 billion Farmers Support Fund and reduction in price of fertilizer. Nanono urged his successor to ensure that all hands are on deck for the issue of food security.
Also Read: Feeding The Nation: Minister of Agriculture, Sabo Nanono restates government’s commitment
On his part, the new Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Abubakar, outlined his plans for the sector while pledging to give his all to achieve them.
He noted that one of the programmes on the table is Agriculture for Food and Jobs Plan, which provides structured production support, by giving zero-interest input financing options to farmers.
It will be recalled that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development postponed the handover ceremony on two separate occasions since the Cabinet restructuring last week Wednesday.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
