The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Muhammad Sabo Nanono has received the collaboration with the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited (NAFARL), towards achieving food security and boosting Agribusiness Development in Nigeria.
The Minister, who received the delegation of the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Limited led by the Executive Director, Maina Kadai, at the weekend noted that a strong collaboration with the agency would reinforce the ministry’s drive of achieving sustained food sufficiency for the nation as they jointly agreed to embark on same policy of mechanization, research /development of improved seeds, the training of extension services workers across the country and food processing.
The Minister explained that it is the role of the Research institutes in ensuring improved seedlings which will result in bumper harvest, adding that it would also increase agricultural products, create jobs and boost agribusiness development in the nation.
He said “The Mechanization Program would commence before the end of the year in 634 Local Government Areas in Nigeria and will be private sector driven.
“The Army has proven that it is not only involved in protecting the territorial integrity of the country and fighting wars to secure its citizens but also active in the area of food security”.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Nigeria Army Farms and Ranches Limited, Maina Kadai said that NAFARL’s current structure is designed to broaden its scope and mandate to cover ranching and agriculture to support the FG’s Policy on food security as well as generate revenue for the Nigerian Army (NA), feed the entire Army Corps and contribute to the national GDP.
Kadai while presenting a range of farm products from the farms also displayed some processed products such as bean and cassava flour among others promising that NAFARL will join hands with the Ministry to embark on massive commercial farming that will not only feed the Army and other armed forces but feed the nation and export products to feed Africa and the world so as to boost the nations revenue base.
He further said that ‘’ NAFARL is the premier and only NA agricultural establishment and also builds capacities of staff for the efficient employment of modern agricultural techniques in conformity with global best practices’’.
