Soaring Food Crisis Not Peculiar To Nigeria -Agric. Minister

…Zobo: FG targets $35mn export gains from hibiscus flower to Mexico

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Abubakar on Thursday said the soaring food prices despite government interventions was not peculiar challenge to Nigeria, stressing that it was a reflection of global economic value chain system.

Abubakar spoke when he featured at the weekly Ministerial Media Briefing organized by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential Villa.

He explained that Nigeria being part of the international community is exploring ways to manage the situation to suit its own peculiarities as a nation.

The Minister also disclosed that 60,000 metric tonnes of grains are currently domiciled in silos, under the national strategic grain reserve.

He said that the grain reserve in the country was now over 79,277 metric tonnes, stressing that part of reserve was distributed by the federal government to cushion the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the most vulnerable Nigerians between 2020-2021.

The Minister explained that through an aggressive agricultural policy, about 3.6 million indirect jobs were created from $1.113 billion (about N461.9billion) worth of externally funded projects being implemented by the present administration.

According to him, $538 million was approved for special agricultural processing zones to support inclusive and sustainable agricultural development in the country

He further disclosed that another project worth $575 million was being implemented to improve rural access and agricultural marketing in participating states
while strengthening the financing institutional base for effective development, maintenance and management of rural roads network.

Abubakar said the project was currently being implemented in nine states including Niger, Benue, Ogun, Ebonyi, Taraba and Anambra, Nasarawa, Kogi and Enugu “to scale up the achievement recorded in the original VCDP states.”

The Minister also explained that about $35million dollars is being expected from the Mexican government from export of hibiscus flower used in zobo production.