FG to establish Agro-Rangers against cattle rustlers

Chief Audu Ogbeh.

·       *FMARD set to deploy agric plantation

In combating insecurity as regards food production across the country, the Federal Government has disclosed that it intends to launch a new department called Agro-Rangers, to fight multiple taxation of food; farmers- herdsmen clashes and to put a stop to the activities of the cattle rustlers.

The news was disclosed through a drama by Nigerian Association of Agricultural Product Dealers (NAAPD) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Rivers state command, to stop the multiple taxation of agricultural commodities and other activities relating to farmers.

Food Farm News and Voice of Africa (VOA) in an interview with the Assistant commandant, Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps, Mrs. Rita Timothy said the department is not just to stop the multiple taxation of food items but to also checkmate the activities of the herdsmen, cattle rustlers, destruction of farms, and other related cases.

 She noted that the department is expected to fight all kinds of social deviance that affect farmers, which as a result, creates limitations in food production, and insecurity in the country as the department is expected to be flagged off soon in Abuja, by the minister of agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh.

Recently on AIT television, the Minister of Interior, Lt. General retired, Abdulraman Danbazo during a meeting held on National security at Abuja said that agro rangers department would soon be officially launched as a measure to tackle multiple taxes and combat farmers’/ herdsmen clashes.

Meanwhile, the minister of agric, Chief Audu Ogbeh has disclosed that the ministry would soon launch some key projects like farm plantations in its pursuit for self-sufficiency in food production and job creation.

He said plantation development will target the development of progammes focusing on agricultural commodities for large scale export foreign earning such as cashew, coconut, oil palm, Cashew, shea-butter, sugarcane, olive, cactus, sesame, gum Arabic, ginger, pulses, livestock, pineapples and bananas saying there was potentials to earn 40-50 billion dollars through plantation project thereby enjoining the participation of the states’ government with consideration given to comparative crops. 

 He encouraged the states to join the national programme on certification and quality control, while also learning proper packaging of commodities utilized globally, such as the use of jute bags for pulse just as he solicited development partners’ support financially to developing strategies outlined in the promotion FG Green Alternative agricultural policy following CAAPD-Malabo declaration, added agricultural loans must be designed to pay for itself with a central coordination. 

Ogbeh who described the Nigeria's agricultural mechanization density as very low, warned that the fast rising population of Nigeria needed modern equipment for food security adding that an intensive policy for all the states is of the essence to achieve this goal as he disclosed that the FG has commenced with Labor-Intensive Farming Enterprise (L.I.F.E), which aim to provide agro-processing facilities in each senatorial district of Nigeria in partnership with China and Brazil.

He said the global climate change patterns and the utilization of earth’s most unique resource like water, indicates that we must adapt climate smart agricultural practices to harness our potentials,  adding that the drought in parts of Africa and the need to secure future by planning better today led to the design of “THE 10/37 PROJECT" which aims to construct, and  rehabilitate 10 earth dams for agriculture in each states of the federation and the FCT, as the country has 21 dams in Oyo, 12 in Ogun state and other states that are currently un- utilized.