The Federal Government has commenced the deployment of micro irrigation kits and water pumps to flood prone areas for flood recession agriculture and dry season farming.
It also noted that it has commenced the distribution of assorted food commodities, early maturing seeds and subsidised fertiliser and chemicals to farmers in order to cushion the effects of flood which ravaged many farmers across the country.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar while briefing journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, said the interventions are being implemented by the ministry and partners to mitigate the anticipated disruptions of food production and supply occasioned by floods.
Abubakar noted that there is an ongoing construction and rehabilitation of mini-earth dams and water harvesting structures to store excess rain water for dry season farming and fisheries in the front-line states.
This, he said, will increase water availability for domestic and agricultural use, reduce the negative impact of climate change, mitigate farmers-harder’s conflicts and increase food production in the country.
“Engagement in land preparation in collaboration with the State and Local Governments to open more land and take advantage of residual moisture for dry season farming”, he noted.
He noted that the Ministry carried out the 2022 wet season Agricultural Performance Survey of the country to provide empirical data as they support the amelioration of the adverse effects of floods and ensure increased food production in Nigeria.
After the assessment, he stated that the Ministry began the distribution of assorted food commodities from the federal government strategic food reserve to the vulnerable and flood victims through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
He said there is also a move to promote elevated climate smart livestock housing to mitigate the impact of flooding on livestock enterprises.
He said: ”The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Interior to improve security on farms through the deployment of Agro-Rangers across the country.
”There is an approval of a five years tax break as an incentive to encourage private investments in the agricultural sector and increased food production, processing and marketing.
”Restocking of the Strategic Food Reserve with 200,000MT of assorted food commodities.
”Capacity building and distribution of pasture seeds, bio-fertilizer, harvester, choppers and other pasture and feed processing equipment to pasture farmers and pastoralists to increase pasture and feed production and processing”.