P
ProfRem
Guest
President Muhammadu Buhari, during the independence day broadcast outlines a new agricultural plan, tagged “LIFE Programme”.
Nigeria will be self sufficient in the production of food, such as rice, millet, sorghum, maize, soyabean by 2019, President Buhari said in a national broadcast on Saturday.
The president said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have been mobilised to achieve the target through the Anchor Borrowers Scheme.
He said through the scheme, production of the staple crops is on the increase in 13 states and that Kebbi alone is expected to produce one million tonnes of rice this year.
Buhari said Nigeria spends two billion dollars on rice importation stressing the need for the country to be self sufficient in staple crop production.
He said the foreign exchange that would be saved could be used for industrial revival, importation of essential raw materials and spare parts.
The president said in recognition of the need to reinvigorate agriculture in rural communities, government was introducing a scheme called `Life Programme’ to boost rural economy.
He said the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are embarking on a project of building lakes, dams and water harvesting scheme across the country.
According to him, government recognises that irrigation is key to modern agriculture and is determine to ensure that we are no longer dependent on rain fed agriculture for national food requirement.
Nigeria will be self sufficient in the production of food, such as rice, millet, sorghum, maize, soyabean by 2019, President Buhari said in a national broadcast on Saturday.
The president said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have been mobilised to achieve the target through the Anchor Borrowers Scheme.
He said through the scheme, production of the staple crops is on the increase in 13 states and that Kebbi alone is expected to produce one million tonnes of rice this year.
Buhari said Nigeria spends two billion dollars on rice importation stressing the need for the country to be self sufficient in staple crop production.
He said the foreign exchange that would be saved could be used for industrial revival, importation of essential raw materials and spare parts.
The president said in recognition of the need to reinvigorate agriculture in rural communities, government was introducing a scheme called `Life Programme’ to boost rural economy.
He said the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development are embarking on a project of building lakes, dams and water harvesting scheme across the country.
According to him, government recognises that irrigation is key to modern agriculture and is determine to ensure that we are no longer dependent on rain fed agriculture for national food requirement.
