By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

THERE is light at the end of the tunnel for Nigerians amid high food prices, as the National Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA, disclosed distributing agricultural inputs to 900 farmers in Ebonyi and Osun States to upscale food production as part of its empowerment programme.

The distribution was made known by the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne who was represented by the Head, Soil Science Department, Lucius Ndimele. He explained that NALDA following the directives of President Bola Tinubu to ensure farmers produce food adequately for Nigerians went on to empower the 900 farmers in Ebonyi and Osun States respectively.

According to Ikonne, the input distribution of the inputs is basically to take off the cost for inputs from the shoulders of farmers, hence to ensure the farmers embark on massive cropping towards recording improved yields and harvest to boost food production, accessibility and affordability.

He also added that NALDA’s empowerment programme is on the heels of the Tinubu-led administration’s ‘Renewed Hope’ Agenda, which is to ensure no farmer is left behind in food production across the country.

Meanwhile, NALDA would continue to distribute inputs till it reaches farmers in every State, and added that the distribution exercise targets genuine farmers.

He said, “The government is making sure that you can produce what you will eat by providing you inputs and the essence of what we are doing here today is to ensure Nigerians understand the importance of farming, and make sure we produce what we eat and reduce the price of food in the market.”

Also NALDA is rolling out empowerment for farmers to ameliorate the plight of farmers and reduce the impact of high cost of living and food production based on President Tinubu’s declaration of state of emergency.

Meanwhile, in three to four months, Nigerians will see the impact of the programme, which will bring down the high cost of food in the market, and the empowerment of farmers by NALDA is a continuous exercise, and also called on Nigerians to engage in agricultural activities for Nigerians.

The empowerment of farmers by NALDA is a continuous exercise to encourage more Nigerians to go into farming to ensure self-sufficiency in food production thus boosting food security for the teeming population.

Beneficiaries comprising women and youth numbering 400 farmers; 200 maize and 200 rice farmers from Ebonyi State received their inputs at Ishiagu Community in Ivo Local Government Area of the State.

For Osun State, 500 farmers drawn from all the local government of the State were empowered with Maize and beans seeds in Oshogbo the state capital.