The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has expressed his sympathy to thousands of farmers across Nigeria whose farmlands have been destroyed by recent floods.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the floods have damaged thousands of hectares of farmland and displaced over 40,000 people across the country.
Kyari described the situation as deeply concerning, noting that the floods will have a significant negative impact on the livelihoods of rural farmers, particularly small-scale farmers.
He emphasized that the destruction of crops and farmlands poses a severe threat to the social and economic well-being of affected communities, and called for urgent measures to support recovery and provide relief to those impacted.
“As we witness the devastation caused by the recent flooding in our agricultural heartlands, my thoughts turn to the hardworking farmers whose livelihoods have been swept away by the unforgiving forces of nature,” he said. “The impact of this will be felt on the anticipated harvest this year, though we are hopeful it will have minimal effect on national food security.”
The Minister also sympathized with the farmers who lost their crops due to a dry spell that lasted for weeks in some states in the North-Central, North-East, parts of the North-West, and South-West.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has encouraged us to invest in technologies and practices that empower our farmers to adapt to a changing climate and safeguard their livelihoods against unpredictable weather patterns,” Kyari said.
He added that by embracing smart agriculture and harnessing the potential of early maturing seeds, the country can pave the way for a more sustainable and secure future for the agricultural sector.
Kyari stated that the government will place more emphasis on the 2024/2025 dry season farming to cover the losses recorded due to the floods. He noted that his ministry and the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation are collaborating to improve areas under cultivation during the dry season.
“We have already constituted a committee between the staff of the two ministries and key players working on ways to achieve the objectives of increasing food production through dry season farming,” he said.
He urged all citizens to join hands in solidarity with the farmers, states, and local governments to offer more support and resources to those who toil tirelessly to feed the nation.
“Together, we will weather this storm, and together, we will emerge stronger, united in our commitment to stand with our farmers today and always,” Kyari concluded.
