Leadership (Abuja)
Moses John
8 May 2008
Abuja — FCT Administration has said that it has released about 240 metric tonnes of maize and 660 metric tonnes sorghum to the residents of Abuja so as to reduce the high cost food items in capital city
The Minister of State for FCT, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, made this known at the flag-off ceremony of the sales of buffer stock grains in Gwagwa, Abuja, yesterday.
According to the minister, both the maize and the sorghum would be sold to area councils,various farmer associations and the general pulic at susidised prices, adding that government would everything possible to ensure that the grains were sold properly.
He added that FCT Administration would increase its storage capacity by building more specialised warehouses so as to meet the mandate of the National Council of Agriculture (NCA)
Akpanudoedehe stated that the current world food crises would motivate Nigerians and governments at all levels to join hands with the fct to channel more resources to the agriculture sub-sector of the economy.
In his welcome address, the fct secretary for agric and rural development, Alhaji Mustapha Bala Bapsari, said the grains would be distributed in a transparent manner so as to achieve the desired result in the city
According to him, as part of the mandate of agriculture department which is to intervene in food supply to the residents of fct, it procured about 300 metric tonnes of maize in 2005 from federal ministry of agriculture.
He said the agric department since then had been engaging ion educating farmers on preservation and packaging including other processes that would add value to the final product.
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