We remain Nigeria’s food basket despite herdsmen killings – Benue Govt

The Benue State Government has asserted its capability to provide substantial food supplies to other parts of Nigeria despite facing significant insecurity challenges.

Professor Moses Ogbaji, the Commissioner for Agriculture, emphasized this resilience during a telephone interview with Arewa PUNCH on Friday.

Ogbaji argued that the widespread insecurity affecting parts of northern Nigeria has contributed to the recent food scarcity in the country. However, he highlighted that Benue State continues to produce ample food crops, which are regularly transported to other regions.

“You can go to the major highways across the state and witness the number of trucks loaded with food items that leave this state on a daily basis,” Ogbaji said.

He expressed concern over the impact of insecurity on other northern states like Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Borno, which are crucial for supplementing Benue’s food supply. Ogbaji insisted, “Benue cannot do it alone. There is nowhere in the whole world where a state alone can feed the whole country, not even in the USA.”

Despite these challenges, Ogbaji assured that the administration of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has implemented several positive measures to address the food crisis in Benue State. The government has leveraged natural resources and provided subsidies to support local farmers.

The state government has distributed bags of fertilizers at subsidized rates and supplied improved seedlings to farmers. “We are also encouraging the cultivation of vegetables, especially in the riverine areas where we have FADAMA, the one that will mature early,” Ogbaji noted.

He explained that the dry season farming is managed in three aspects: FADAMA with improved seedlings, fertilizers at subsidized rates, and support from the Federal Government for farmers in 24 locations suitable for FADAMA. The state government has identified key areas in each of the three senatorial districts to invest in robust irrigation systems.

Ogbaji called on the Federal Government and other stakeholders to enhance their support for Benue State, reinforcing its role as the “food basket of the nation.”

Supporting Ogbaji’s claims, Madam Scholastical Mbuweze Amua, the state Chairman of the Yam Farmers Association of Nigeria in Benue, revealed that no fewer than 40 trucks of yams are transported out of the state daily. She acknowledged the challenges of insecurity and high farm tool costs but confirmed the administration’s efforts to subsidize fertilizer prices for farmers.

“Benue is still one of the highest producers of yam in the country. Despite the insecurity that ravaged the state, the state still produces yams in large quantities,” Amua stated. She reiterated, “For instance, no fewer than 40 trucks loaded with tubers of yam are always transported out of the state on a daily basis.”