Efforts are being intensified to ensure the availability of wheat to flour millers, biscuit makers, and other consumers.
The Federal Government is collaborating with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN), and the Wheat Farmers Association of Nigeria (WFAN) to achieve a target of 800,000 tonnes this year, it was gathered at the weekend.
Additionally, the Federal Government has decided to eliminate tariffs on wheat and other staples within a 150-day timeframe.
A recent satellite mapping and remote sensing study on cultivated acreage and yield estimate has unveiled that around 277,577 hectares are presently being cultivated, reflecting a substantial 139per cent surge from last year’s 115,909 hectares.
This study, which focused on wheat cultivation in 15 Northern states, was conducted under the AfDB initiative and the National Agricultural Scheme – Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) programme, indicating an expansion in the cultivated area.
The states include Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.