FG plans to stock up strategic food reserves

The federal government says it is actively pursuing a plan to stockpile produce to address food security concerns, stabilise prices, and ensure financial liquidity in the agricultural sector for farmers. The government stated that the gesture would enable farmers to engage in all-year-round farming, particularly during the dry season. Agriculture minister Abubakar Kyari gave the assurance during a working tour of some facilities in Kaduna, accompanied by his deputy, Abdullahi Aliyu, and other stakeholders.

The tour was on the sidelines of the 47th regular meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security. Reacting to the concerns of farmers about the decline in the cost of food items nationwide, despite the increase in input costs, he assured them of the government’s readiness to address the challenge. “Though farmers are worried about the crash in the cost of food, they also go to the same markets and benefit from cheaper prices as well. At the same time, the problem with farmers is the price of inputs.

President Bola Tinubu is working on that. We are going to tackle the price of inputs and balance the welfare of citizens and that of the farmers. “Very soon, we are also going to stock up strategic reserves, which will give a lot of financial liquidity in the agricultural sector for farmers to be able to go into all-year-round farming, especially in the dry season,” he said. Assessing the performance of some factories visited, the minister expressed satisfaction with the high level of interest among the populace in food production and the processing of raw materials, among other aspects.

According to him, farmers and processors have heeded the clarion call of Mr Tinubu on the issue of food security and food sovereignty. He said, “It is evident that what you see on the field is almost in line with the renewal hope agenda of Mr President.” Some of the factories visited include Olam Agri, TMDK Agro Park, DEBRANCH Farmers, Quality Afriexim Bank Quality Assurance Office, and Tomato Jos.

According to him, the quality assurance office seeks to give Nigerian produce a seal of approval for both domestic and export markets. Mira Mehta, CEO of Tomato Jos, gave an overview of the company’s activities, stating that the company aimed to produce high-quality tomato paste from locally grown tomatoes, thereby supporting smallholder farmers and boosting Nigeria’s food security.

Ms Mehta said the company’s core mission is “local production for local consumption”, creating a middle class in rural Nigeria by providing a consistent market for farmers and processing their produce into high-quality paste. She said that the company operates a state-of-the-art processing factory in Kaduna, making it the third-largest tomato processing plant in Nigeria.