…Distributes over 10 million bags of fertiliser

The Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of 10 million bags of fertiliser and announced a Guaranteed Price Model for two million smallholder farmers nationwide.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, while flagging off the input distribution in Zaria, Kaduna State, disclosed that farmers would be linked to a farmer aggregation company, who monitors production and link farmers to the market.

According to him, beyond the delivery of inputs, the aggregator will stay with the farmers throughout the production cycle, providing them with certified seeds, fertiliser and extension support from land preparation to harvest.

He said that after harvest, the aggregator would become the pathway to the market by buying the produce at a Guaranteed Minimum Price approved by the government, ensuring that farmers are able to recover the cost of their labour.

According to him, one-third of the beneficiaries of the inputs distributed under the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SVCF) are women.

While noting that the biggest shift was not the volume of the inputs but the structure of delivery, the minister said: “For generations, farmers carried every risk alone. They borrowed to plant. They prayed for rain. And at harvest, they met buyers who knew they were desperate. What changes today?”

He told the farmers, “From now on, there is an institution beside you when you plant, and an institution beside you when you sell.”

Speaking on the timing of the distribution, the minister said the inputs were being delivered in July as the rains set in to ensure that farmers do not plant late.

On the significance of flagging off the distribution in Zaria, Kyari said the city is renowned for farming and is home to some of the country’s leading seed research institutions due to the presence of several agricultural research institutes. He added: “Today’s flag-off is important because research meets the farmer, inputs meet the rains, and the harvest meets a market.”

The minister commended the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr Ayo Sotinrin, for the prompt delivery of the inputs, noting that they had been on the ground since the rains set in.

He disclosed that the aggregators have grown the farming population from 3,000 farmers to over 400,000, with a target of one million by 2030.

Reiterating the ministry’s commitment, Kyari emphasised that the ministry is fully aligned with the success of farmers under the new model and will not abandon them during harvest.

The minister stressed: “A nation that cannot feed itself holds its independence on loan. Putting the farmer first is not sentiment; it is strategy.” He urged farmers to “farm well this season and hold the government accountable when harvest comes.”

In his remarks, the Group Managing Director of Arzikin Noma Africa, High Chief Adeoluwa Michael Adeshola, revealed that “the programme is designed to reach two million smallholder farmers across Nigeria, deploy over 10 million bags of fertiliser, and ensure that farmers receive quality inputs at the right time and in the right quantities to improve productivity.”

In his goodwill message, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture Limited, Mr Ayodeji Oludare Sotinrin, stated that “the BOA is building an ecosystem where farmers have access to quality inputs, affordable financing, mechanisation support, aggregation systems, structured markets, and value chain partnerships that improve productivity and increase incomes.”

Mr Sotinrin added that “agricultural transformation is not achieved through isolated interventions. It happens when every part of the value chain works together, from production to processing, from financing to market access, to create an environment where farmers can thrive.”

According to him, “To date, close to 300,000 farmers have been onboarded into the programme. More than 1.1 million bags of fertiliser and over 16,470 metric tonnes of improved seeds are being deployed through 20 Farmer Aggregation Companies operating across  20 states of the federation.

He added that  15 accredited input suppliers have been mobilized thereby creating jobs, strengthening local businesses, and keeping economic activity within our rural communities.”

The event was attended by the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, royal fathers, development partners and farmers from Zazzau and beyond.