The Borno State government has procured and distributed 27,000 metric tons of fertilizer to farmers across the state. Alongside this distribution, the government also approved a 50 percent discount to farmers, in a move aimed at supporting agricultural production in the state.
According to the report, the fertilizer was distributed alongside other farming inputs to about 40,000 farmers. The intervention covers the agriculture sector and livestock production across the 27 local government areas of the state, reflecting a statewide scope for the programme.
In addition to the fertilizer support, the government has put in place a measure to cushion farmers against losses. This is through the implementation of an agricultural insurance program targeted specifically at smallholder farmers in the state.
The support extended by the government also included other essential farming materials. The government procured and distributed free certified seeds as well as agrochemicals to farmers as part of the wider agricultural intervention.
These free certified seeds and agrochemicals were provided under the emergency food palliatives initiative. The distribution targeted internally displaced persons, returnees and vulnerable households, linking the agricultural support to broader food assistance in the state.
Beyond crop farming, the intervention also addressed long standing tensions in rural areas. In the last one year, rural grazing areas have been established in the state, a step aimed at averting clashes between farmers and herders across the affected communities.