The Federal Government said that it would soon embark on the distribution of farm implements and equipment to farmers across the country.

Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, who stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at a one-day workshop on “Building Strong Partnership with the Media for Food Security,” organised by the Ministry, said that this will be done through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security .

Ogunbiyi explained that these farm implements and equipment to be distributed to farmers, have been lying idle in various stores of the Ministry across the country.

Ogunbiyi noted that as part of the efforts to enhance food productivity in the country, the Ministry would launch, “Operation Empty the Stores” to ensure that the farm implements and equipment are released to the farmers for agricultural cultivation.

He said: “It may interest you to know that the ministry will soon be distributing agricultural inputs and implements to all stakeholders and farmers.

“Arrangements are on and within the next couple of months, this will be done.

“Of course, immediately I assumed office, I made a pronouncement that we will be embarking on “Operation Empty the Stores.”

“It means that all the farm implements, equipment and other things we have in the stores, are not meant for the stores.

“They are made for the farmers. Therefore, I will embark on emptying all our stores nationwide, to release the implements that will be useful to farmers,” Ogunbiyi said.

He, therefore, underscored the need for agricultural correspondents to mobilise, educate and sensitise the Nigerian populace to embrace agriculture.

On the roles of the media in the information dissemination, Ogunbiyi said: “The media we know possess significant power that can always change the negative narration of situations.

“I want to encourage you to channel this power towards sensitising our people to take a renewed interest in agriculture so that together, we can feed ourselves and develop our nation.

“It is expected that through your constructive engagements with the ministry, such as we are witnessing today, you would be in a vantage position to educate our farmers on different farming methods, mechanisms, and varieties of farm input available to them and how these can be accessed and put into use to improve their productivity.”

Earlier, the Director of Press and Public Relations, in the Ministry, Dr. Joel Oruche, stressed the need for agriculture reporters to educate small holder farmers on the methodologies, inputs availability and application of implements that can enhance their yield.

Oruche explained that various policies and programmes have been enunciated on agriculture for the country to drive some of the agricultural value chains, including provision of affordable farm inputs to small holder farmers and measures to mitigate the effect of climate, among others.

He, therefore, urged journalists to educate the public on the policies, programmes and activities of the Ministry that impact on farmers to enhance food production.