Jonathan approves release of N26bn for 2015 farming season

President Good­luck Jonathan has approved the release of N26 billion towards the 2015 dry season farming pro­gramme.

He said this is to further boost their efforts to produce more food for the nation, adding that Agriculture is now the lifeline for Nigeria.
This is even as he has warned that Nigeria will not be held hostage by rice importers, adding that there will be no sacred cows un­der his watch. He declared that “All those owing Ni­geria on rice import duties must pay”.
The President said to fur­ther spur the traditional fish­ing competition in Argungu and promote fishing eco-tourism, he has directed the Federal Ministry of Agricul­ture to provide, henceforth, annual financial support for the festival.
He particularly com­mended the Nigerian farm­ers for ensuring the food prices remain stable despite the devaluation of the naria, noting that Nigerians would have staged a riot had the situation been otherwise.
The President said his administration has trans­formed the face of agricul­ture, saying “our country is producing more food than ever before. Our national food production has ex­panded by 21 million metric tons within the past three years. Our food import bill declined from N1.1 trillion in 2009 to N634 billion in 2013 and continues to de­cline. This is progress and we must continue to move forward!
“We ended the corruption of 40 years in the fertilizer sector. Our farmers now re­ceive their fertilizers through the electronic wallet system using their mobile phones. Within the past three years, over 14.5 million farmers have been reached through the GES program. Our farm­ers that previously begged for fertilizers or are given fertilizers in bowls, now re­ceive 2-3 bags of subsidized fertilizers. We have restored dignity and hope back to our farmers. There is much to celebrate in this sector.
“The number of seed companies has increased from 11 to 134 within the past three years, allowing farmers to be reached with high quality seeds. I am proud of the Nigerian seed companies, who together have now increased the volume of seeds available to farmers from 4,252Met­ric tons in 2011 to over 149,484metric tons today. This again is progress and we must continue to move forward!