2023 Farming Season: FCTA Optimistic On Bumper Harvest

By: Zakari Aliyu

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has put every measure on ground to ensure that farmers in the Territory enjoy bumper harvest this season.

Accordingly, with all the robust plans put on ground, the Association is optimistic that farmers will record a bumper harvest in the FCT this cropping season.

The Acting Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Mallam Ishaq Abubakar Sadeeq, gave this assurance during a visit to Agric Warehouses in the six Area Councils of FCT.

Sadeeq said that the visit was to also monitor the distribution of assorted Agricultural inputs that were procured by the FCT Administration to bolster Agricultural production in the 2023 farming season.

According to him, the intervention by the FCT Administration was part of its strategies to reposition the Agricultural sector towards realizing the objective of achieving self-sufficiency in food production, increase agricultural earnings and creating opportunities to facilitate the growth of Agricultural value chains and jobs for teeming population of the FCT.

His words: ”The FCT Administration is hoping that this intervention will help to ensure that farmers, particularly at the grassroot levels have access to critical inputs at affordable rates, which is sold at 50% subsidy.”

“We have tried to expand the scope of our distribution outreach to include: Agro-based Cooperative groups, Area Councils, the 17 FCT Chiefdoms, Organized women Farmers Associations, the less privileged as well as individual farmers. For the first time, we have included the ‘Sarkin ‘Nomas in all the 62 wards of the FCT, “ he added.

He further disclosed that the Secretariat has already distributed about 75% of the inputs since the exercise started in June; stressing that the FCT Fertilizer Distribution Committee has put in place adequate measures to ensure that the beneficiaries are adequately catered for.

” We are not unaware of the tendency of sharp practices in the distribution process, which is why the FCT Administration ensured that some of the inputs are customized with the FCT Insignia. The Committee is also expected to enlighten beneficiaries and also work with Abuja Market Management officials to be on the look out in their markets for illegal sales of the inputs,” the Secretary said.