The Federal Government has inaugurated the National Executive Technical Committee on the implementation of the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Card Scheme (NFSHCS) to promote sustainable soil management practices.
The scheme seeks to enhance agricultural productivity in the country and to ensure a food-secure future for Nigeria.
Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi , Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, while inaugurating the committee on Wednesday in Abuja, said the scheme would shape the future of Nigeria’s agriculture.
He said the project stood as a pivotal initiative aimed to integrate principles of agro ecology, and regenerative agriculture in line with the vision of President Ahmed Tinubu.
“This committee will represent a significant milestone in the ministry’s efforts to prioritise soil health, enhance agricultural productivity and ensure a food-secure future for our country.
“The scheme emphasises the promotion of site-specific and crop-specific sustainable soil health management practices, along with the careful application of fertilisers,” he said.
He said that the objectives of the initiative includes, defining appropriate soil fertility management practices, improvement in soil health and fertility like cropping system/crop rotation, fertilisation and mulching.
Abdullahi said it will generate employment for rural youth, improve timeliness in analysis of soil samples, online delivery of soil health cards to the farmers using Soil Health Card Portal.
The minister said the soil health card portal provided all the information regarding nutrient deficiencies for fertiliser recommendations.
He said that another objective of the initiative was to provide soil testing facilities to farmers at their doorstep, and build a database on fertility status of Nigerian soils.
Abdullahi urged the committee to work collaboratively to achieve the goals of the scheme, engage stakeholders, foster partnerships and drive innovation and knowledge sharing.
” I charge this committee to ensure inclusivity and equity for a successful Soil Health programme under the Renewed Hope Food Security initiative,” he said.
The minister said that the programme was expected to span over a period of four years in the first instance.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Committee, Mr Oshadiya Olanipekun, said soil health was one of the important interventions under the Federal ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Olanipekun, who is the Director, Department of Agricultural Land Climate Change Management Services in the ministry, said the scheme aimed to take soil testing analysis to the door steps of the farmers.
Olanipekun said that under the scheme, the ministry would establish soil testing laboratories across the 774 Local Governments Areas in the country, create employment and prevent rural and urban migration.(NAN)
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