The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will on Monday November 19, 2012, commence the release of 40, 000 metric tons of assorted foods as part of the Federal Government’s food relief for Nigerians, especially women and children adversely affected by the recent flood which affected some parts of the country.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, informed an emergency meeting of all States Commissioners of Agriculture held recently in Abuja that President Goodluck Jonathan, has approved the release of assorted foods from the country’s National Strategic Food Reserve to ensure the proper feeding of flood victims.
According the Minister, this was the first step in the robust N9.7 billion Flood Food Recovery Production Plan of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to support farmers affected by the flood.
The assorted foods, comprising maize, millet, gari and sorghum, would be simultaneously released from 10 of the country’s National Strategic Food Reserve silos in 1, 333 trailers for delivery to the victims of the flood in all the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, free of charge.
A breakdown of foods allocated to the states indicate that Benue , Plateau, Adamawa, Oyo, Kogi, Bayelsa, Delta and Anambra states fall in category “A”, will each receive 50 trailer-loads, following category”B”, which include, Lagos, Imo, Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Taraba, Niger, Cross River and Edo states, will receive 40 trailer-loads.
Category “C” which comprises Ebonyi, Rivers, Kwara, Abia, Ogun, Ondo, Gombe and Katsina would be allocated 30 trailer-loads each. While States in category “D” would receive 25 trailer-loads each, the states include Borno, Yobe, Enugu, Ekiti, Osun, Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Akwa Ibom and FCT.
The release of the food consignments would be performed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina at Ogoja, Cross River State, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Bukar Tijani, would be at Jos, Plateau State and Gombe, Gombe State, while the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, would flag off the exercise in Ibadan, Oyo State.