Muhammed Sulaiman, Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, has said the Federal government through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), will support about 21,000 farmers across the 16 local government areas of the state who were affected by conflicts and flood in 2018.
Sulaiman made this known in Yola during the ongoing distribution of agricultural inputs by the Federal Government.
The intervention programme was under the National Food Security Council-Emergency Agricultural Intervention in Conflict and 2018 flood impacted states.
The inputs distributed include hybrid rice, maize seeds and herbicides among others.
Sulaiman added that the agency would ensure strictness in the distribution by ensuring only the affected and registered farmers benefit from the gesture.
Earlier, Felicia Nzomisaki, Permanent Secretary Adamawa state Ministry of Agriculture, said that the increase in agricultural production has reduced poverty in the state’s rural communities.
The permanent secretary noted that the Federal Government’s giant strides on agriculture had significantly reduced poverty and increased income of the state’s rural dwellers.
‘‘Federal and State governments agricultural programme holds the key for reducing rural poverty and fingering development in the state and the nation as a whole.
‘‘As studies and empirical evidence indicate that increasing agricultural productivity by one per cent leads to 0.72 per cent reduction in rural poverty index most especially in a state that is mainly agrarian like ours”.
She pointed out that the Federal Government’s agricultural intervention would go a long way in impacting on nation’s food security.
Nzomisaki expressed gratitude to the Federal Government, through National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), for supporting farmers of the states who were affected by floods and conflicts.
She noted that the intervention would bring succour to the rural farmers, improve their agricultural productivity and assist them to return to their normal life.
‘‘I call upon the beneficiaries, especially victims of flood disasters and farmer-herders clashes, not to sell these important inputs.
‘‘The Federal Government’s intervention is meant to build your resilience, therefore, laying the ground for long-term recovery, inclusiveness and sustainable growth,’’ Nzomisaki said.
