Wheat farmers in Gombe State under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) programme have expressed optimism about a bumper harvest in the coming days.
Mr Lawan Garba, Chairman of the Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria, Gombe state chapter, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Gombe.
Garba said the wheat crops would be ready for harvest soon, and farmers were expecting good yields from their farms.
He noted that the Federal Government’s support for wheat farming had been encouraging, leading to increased interest among farmers in the state.
Garba said that such massive interest in wheat production would translate to more jobs and income for people at the grassroots.
“In Gombe State, 8,014 hectares were given to farmers and based on this wheat production is expected to increase this year.
“We are expecting bumper harvest of around 1,700 tonnes of wheat from the farms.
“The intervention by the federal government has encouraged many farmers to go into wheat farming, this will help boost productivity.
“This means that the federal government is actually ready to boost food security and this support is what is also responsible for the notable decrease in prices of grains.
“Last year, by this time the prices of maize, wheat, and other grains were higher, but this year they are coming down.
“This is as a result of the efforts of the federal government through inputs disbursement to farmers,” he said.
He appealed to the federal and Gombe state governments to increase support for farmers to sustain the progress being made in the agricultural sector.
Garba cautioned farmers against selling their produce to middlemen or off-takers, accusing them of undermining efforts to ensure food security and affordability.
Addressing concerns raised by some farmers under the NACP about the delayed distribution of inputs inaugurated by the federal government, he assured them that the inputs were safe and intact.
He urged farmers to remain patient, emphasising that the distribution had already been flagged off in January.
“Any moment from now, the inputs for 3, 000 farmers will be disbursed.” he said.
