The government aims to produce around 472,000 metric tonnes of wheat during the dry season as part of its agricultural growth program.
Mr. Ishaku Buba, National Project Coordinator for the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), shared this goal during a meeting in Abuja. This target is spread across 15 states known for wheat production.
The meeting focused on reviewing the progress of the 2023/2024 dry season wheat production in these states. These include Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.
The participants also discussed plans for the next phase, covering rice, maize, and cassava production.
Buba explained that the program, executed through NAGS-AP, concentrated on four key crops: wheat, rice, maize, and cassava. Due to the specific planting window for wheat, it kicked off the 2023/2024 program.
The wheat value chain phase ran from Nov. 15, 2023, to Dec. 15, 2023, extended to Dec. 20, 2023, for Jigawa and Borno. Rice, maize, and cassava value chains were scheduled for January to February.
As of Dec. 21, 2023, Buba reported that 96.47% of the targeted 123,000 hectares had been redeemed, contributing to an overall achievement of 472,000 metric tonnes of wheat.
Despite success, challenges like network interruptions and limited SMS messages affected farmer engagement.
Mrs. Oluwatoyin Alade, Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, praised the dedication of those involved, acknowledging a 97% redemption rate.
She also highlighted challenges such as round-tripping and negative profiteering from the program.
Representing the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr. Azeez Olumuyiwa conveyed continued support for the NAGS-AP project, emphasizing goodwill.
