Agric forum tasks government on strategic subsidy

Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa

Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) has said agriculture in Nigeria needs to be strategically subsidized for food security to be achieved.

The lead specialist, FARA Prof. Oluwole Fatumbi disclosed this during the 4 days training held in Abuja.

Prof. Fatumbi explained that the subsidization must be done in such a strategic manner that will enhance an enabling environment for farmers to achieve optimal production towards commercialization of wealth and jobs creation to the entire population all the value chains thereby replicating American model.

His words: “Agriculture should be subsided, but strategic subsidization at the point of providing general incentives that gives enabling environment for farmers to achieve optimum production.

“Hundred years ago they were where we are now, but today only 2 per cent of Americans are farmers on the farm while 13 per cent are in value chain development, processing and financing which brings growth and reduction in price of commodity.

“I am not against the government efforts, they are trying, but they need to channel the efforts and energy in the right direction to ensure that agriculture delivers to the larger population.”

As regards access to land, he stressed the need for FG to review the 1979 land tenure act that took away possessions from land owners, saying farmers should have access to their lands and be at will to rent out to any farmer of their choice saying that FG should remodel and review the National Land Development Agency ( NALDA) which its politicization in the past led to the closure.

Also, a Professor of Agricultural Extension, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Tunji Arokoyo attributed woes in the sector to lack of commitment on the part of leadership.

He berated the so much fun fair and media hype attached to agricultural programs with little or no actual investment in the sector  lamenting that low commitment of the government to the 2003 Maputo agreement and 2014 reconfirmation in Malabo that compelled member states to set aside 10 per cent of yearly budgets to agriculture has never been met.

An Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) officer, Chief( Mrs) Alice Fabiyi urged researchers to engage more in demand driven researches and avoid the idea of research  promotion, noted that extension services and researches are expensive and thereby urged government and other private stakeholders to ensure making research a market driven venture so as to able to get more finance.