The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar kyari, has raised concerns that the Naira redesign policy carried out by the immediate past administration had severe consequences on farmers and food security in the country.
Kyari said this while defending the Ministry’s proposed estimate of N362.9 billion before a joint senate and house of representatives committee on Agriculture.
In his presentation the Minister says the intent of the proposal for 2024 fiscal year is to achieve food security in the country.
According to him , other factors such as insecurity also impoverished farmers and severely threatened food security in the country.
He added that Farmers resorted to selling their farm produce at give away prices for survival as buyers could not
access cash to purchase farm produce.
Lawmakers raised alarm on the need for the federal government to urgently address the high rate of hunger across the nation.
They say it’s worrisome that citizens from neighbouring countries like Chad, Niger, Benin Republic and Central Africa, come in to mop up the food in some parts of the country, causing famine in the areas.
Kyari stressed that food security is of utmost priority in the 8- point agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He says the Ministry has repositioned itself to realize the governments agenda.
He added that the ministry is implementIng a joint action plan with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to unlock the irrigation potentials of the River Basins Development Authorities and other flood plans in the country to guarantee all year food production.
The breakdown of the N124.1billion for the Ministry shows that
N10.6billion is for personnel cost , N1.34billion for overhead and N112.497billion for capital expenditure .
Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe
