As part of the Nigerian government’s plans to boost the country’s agricultural self-sufficiency, free sorghum seeds have been distributed to more than 7,000 farmers in Kudana State
The purpose behind the hand out, according to minister of agriculture Akinwumi Adesina, was to increase food production and farmers’ financial capital.
Adesina added that if used optimally the seeds can provide 25-30 bags of sorghum grain per ha.
The Nigerian federal government has planned to push domestic food production to 20mn tonnes by 2015 and, more specifically, to have harvested an additional one million tonnes of sorghum crop.
Adesina explained, "It is a four-year programme introduced to boost farmers' yields with a view to achieving national food security.
“The programme was launched in state capital Kudan, because of its tremendous contribution to sorghum production in Kaduna State and the nation at large. We are going to launch the same programme in Kano, Katsina and Malumfashi for the benefit of sorghum farmers in those areas," he added.