Agriculture
AFAN Demands Incentives For More Food Production
As the world’s population is predicted by United Nations to hit 8 billion by November 15, 2022, with Nigeria standing at over 210 million, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), has demanded incentives to produce more food to feed the population.
This was the reaction of the National President, AFAN, Arc Kabir Ibrahim, over the fast growing Nigerian population, as food production is at an arithmetic dimension.
Ibrahim said on Tuesday that without proper incentives for farmers, the over 210 million mouths will face severe hunger if deliberate efforts are not made to boost farmers’ capacity to produce food.
He said: “The smallholder farmers should be properly boosted to produce more by ensuring security, the provision of readily affordable seeds, fertilizers and other inputs as well as adequate mechanisation and encouragement to adopt relevant technologies and innovations.
“The existence of large arable land, abundant water resources, other land resources and mineral resources should help to bolster agricultural productivity in Nigeria.
“Other areas to exploit to feed Nigeria’s large population include: adoption of all year round cultivation of crops, enhancing the livestock sector, adopting Climate-Smart agriculture, fully embracing agricultural Biotechnology and making serious investments, as well as promoting agribusiness generally.
“The abundant very good policies largely on paper should be properly implemented by appointing capable hands at all levels to drive Agricultural production, storage, processing, distribution and even consumption in order to evolve a veritable food system that should sustainably feed our large population.
“Research findings should be made readily available to our farmers to enable them optimise Agricultural production too.”
The AFAN boss also called on Government and the private sector to employ effective strategies in mobilising the young population to the agricultural sector.
“Agriculture should be treated as a business by creating an enabling environment to make it thrive. The enablers are: Address the power issue to enable processing and cold storage, thereby elongating the shelf lives of otherwise perishable crops and value addition generally”, he said.
He also called on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to deploy huge number of corps members to the agricultural sector.
“It will be wonderful to fully engage the youth corps members in Agriculture because we will evolve an educated critical mass to turn it around.
He noted that with the current situation in food production, the government and private sector should collaborate to establish more agro industrial areas for food production and employment generation.
“I’m in support of the idea of encouraging Private Public Partnership (PPP) model of agro-industrial development as it will definitely generate employment for our otherwise unemployed youth”, he added.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.