Here are 5 ways FG plans to tackle food crisis in 2025

The federal government has unveiled five ways it plans to tackle the current food crisis and stabilise accelerating prices in 2025.

Abubakar Kyari, minister for Agriculture and Food Security, at a recent press briefing in Abuja said the government is committed to boosting food production and addressing issues limiting farmers productivity.

Kyari said that reliance on government budgets alone is insufficient to support agriculture, while outlining the plans to tackle the country’s food crisis.

Introduction of wet season wheat cultivation

The minister noted that in addition to the ongoing dry-season wheat cultivation scheme in certain states across the country, wet-season wheat farming will now also be adopted.

“In addition to the dry season wheat planting, we also intend to pilot wet season wheat cultivation in highland states that are cold. Places like Cross River, Plateau and Taraba States,” he said.

“This is the first time a southern state is joining the 15 other states that produce wheat. It is a pilot scheme in the northern part of Cross River,” Kyari said. “We know that wheat is a tropical crop cultivated in cold temperate under irrigation,” he said.

The minister said all interventions for the dry season wheat farming Phase 1 were concluded on December 27, 2024. “Here we supported 150,000 hectares and that amounts to 300,000 farmers, which is one farmer per half a hectare.”

Kyari noted that subsidised wheat seeds were given to farmers in a 25-75 percent payment method between the farmers and the federal government, respectively. Similarly, the federal government subsidised fertilisers in a 50-50 percent payment for farmers.

Last year, the minister revealed that the federal government will, under the National Agricultural Growth Support Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project assist 400,000 farmers in wheat and rice farming during the dry season farming for 2024/2025.

Read also: Farm input demand spikes on food price hike

Shipment of 2,000 tractors from Belarus

Kyari said about 2,000 tractors from Belarus have started arriving at ports in Lagos.

“We have started taking delivery of the 2,000 tractors we ordered from Belarus which will be distributed to farmers, the government will also be focusing on increasing tomato farming in the South-East and South-West, with harvests expected by May,” he said.

The tractors are part of the government’s move to introduce mechanised farming amongst farmers.

Recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA)

He also revealed that active plans are in place for the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture.

The minister said the bank, which has branches in 109 senatorial districts, will be positioned to provide smallholder farmers with capital.

The ministry is engaging development partners, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to expand funding opportunities.

Kyari said: “Within the first quarter of this year, you will see a report that will outline the reorganisation and the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture.”

Improved mechanised farming

Kyari remarked that it is top of President Tinubu’s goals to provide mechanised tools like tractors for farmers.

“One area we are looking to ramp up production is certainly mechanisation. Mr President has his eyes on that and we are assiduously going to work to the letter towards it,” he stressed.

According to him, the use of hoes and cutlasses is now rudimentary and dissuading many people from going into farming.

He stressed that the 2,000 tractors from Belarus by the federal government is a step in the right direction for farmers in the country.

Tackle post-harvest loss

Kyari said plans to provide more storage facilities to prevent Nigeria’s current N3.5 trillion post-harvest loss, are in the works.

According to him, this is also a major goal for President Tinubu in 2025.