FAO To Distribute Fertilizer, Seeds To Farmers In North East

The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) last Friday said it would distribute fertilisers, seeds and other inputs to 560,000 displaced farmers in the North East for dry season farming.
FOA’s Communications Officer, North East Field Office, Divya Sama announced this in a statement in Maiduguri
Sama said that about 70,000 households would receive assorted fertilisers, seeds and tools to boost vegetables and cash crop production.
She disclosed that the organisation had concluded arrangement to commence distribution of the inputs in October.
The official explained that the programme was aimed at encouraging displaced farmers to return to the farm and cultivate crops, to mitigate the effects of food crisis occasioned by Boko Haram insurgency.
Sama said that the programme was also designed to improve the nutritional intake of vulnerable persons and provide means of livelihood to traumatized farmers in the North-East region.
“The dry season programme is targeted at vulnerable persons, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), returnees in host communities.
“This effort is led by the Government of Nigeria to restore livelihoods and combat critical levels of food security and malnutrition in areas ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency.
“More than 2.4 million people were displaced thus aggravating the deteriorating food security and livelihoods in the region.
“We are geared to address critical challenges confronting farmers, who are experiencing shortage of agricultural inputs that continue to prolong their reliance on expensive humanitarian assistance,” Sama said.
According to her, the programmes are being executed in collaboration with the Federal Government, UN and other development organisations.
She reiterated FAO’s commitment to work in partnership with government and other organisations to address the food and humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s North-East region.
It will be recalled that FOA had earlier distributed fertilisers, seeds and inputs to displaced farmers in the North-East.