The Federal Government yesterday said its agricultural reforms were designed to ensure food availability, affordability and accessibility for all Nigerians.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this to journalists in Maiduguri. Kyari highlighted the government’s ongoing interventions in the agricultural sector to tackle food insecurity and revive the national economy.

He said the ministry had adopted a multipronged strategy to confront challenges such as insecurity, flooding, and import dependency, particularly in critical areas like wheat and rice production.

Kyari said: “As part of efforts to reduce the over six million tonnes of wheat currently imported annually, we have launched a national wheat farming programme.”

He noted that Cross River State had become the first southern state to join the wheat production drive, marking a significant milestone in diversifying the crop’s geographic spread.

Kyari also said fertiliser distribution under the programme had boosted rice production by 58,000 tonnes, enabling the federal government to subsidise rice supply to states affected by flooding. “In addition to wheat, the ministry has championed a successful rice programme, leading to positive harvests nationwide,” he said.