* Farmers' group fault implementation
process
Experts in the agricultural sector have called on the
federal government on the need to pass in to law, bills such as seed,
fertilizer and warehouse receipt system in Nigeria to help boast and reposition
the agricultural industry, so as to return to its pride of place.
This was made
available during the public-private dialogue with Agriculture sector
stakeholders on "strengthen enabling policy environment for fertilizer
system, seed system and warehouse receipt system in Nigeria’’, as farmers group
fault farmers neglect during agricultural policy formulation and implementation
process in the country, urging that government speedily pass the various bill
for the efficiency of the sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National
Economic Groups, Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola pointed that his organization was committed
to contributing to the achievement of sustainable economic development and the
creation of an enabling business environment through responsible private sector
initiatives and advocacy has necessitated partnering with AGRA on the Advocacy
for the passage of the three Agribusiness Bills.
Jaiyeola explained that the three Bills are designed to
reinforce each other in driving increased farm productivity and livelihood of
smallholder farmers, and contribute towards Nigeria getting back on track on
using agriculture for import substitution and food security through a green
revolution, adding that the Seed Bill and Fertilizer Bill have both been passed
and awaits Presidential Assent, while the Warehouse Receipt System Bill has
been passed in the Senate and awaits third reading in the House of Representatives.
He further urged that the federal government speedily pass the bill to help
make the country food sufficient.
The country manager of the Alliance for a Green Revolution
in Africa (Agra) Dr. Gbenga Arowolo disclosed that it was important to support
the fertilizer, seed and the warehouse receipt system in Nigeria, as it is
necessary that legislative backing is given to farmer's to access qualify for
increased productivity because they are not getting increased yield. He said
that the need to fix the seed issues prompted the Forum to come into fixing the problems at
hand there y appointing premiere seed and value seed on the production of
quality seeds for farmers.
The country manager stated that there has been several
report of farmer's planting low quality seed which has amounted into great loss
as there are no adequate awareness from the extension officer who have been
mute for a while, Arowolo continued to say that his agency is working with
NEARLS in Zaria on a village community based project on how farmers can get
access to information, quality inputs and a better environment, which is while we are also working with NESG
on the legislation to back what Agra is doing for farmers so that nobody comes tomorrow
to alter the process already put in place. said he.
The Think tank Operation of the NESG,Ms. Feyi Ajayi, said that if the three bills were
not passed before the eight assembly ends, by the time the ninth assembly
stands all their effort and advocacy would be in vain.
“We are here to engage stakeholders to buy into the passage
of the agriculture bills that NESG is working with AGRA and others stakeholders
to be enact.
“The Fertiliser Quality Control Bill, the Independent
Warehouse Bill and the Seed Council Bill.“These three bills we believed are very
important and critical to the creation of an agricultural ecosystem to ensure
that the country is secured in term of food and impact on lives of our
smallholders’ farmers.
Adding that “Million of smallholders today just see their
produce waste. We have farmers till the soil morning, till night but get
nothing simply because the inputs they given are bad. She continued to say that
“ In places where they get inputs lack of storage facility allows a lot of
waste in farm gates and this has a negative impact on the livelihood of
millions of smallholders’ farmers in Nigeria.
Ms. Ajayi said that “Our reasonability at the NESG working
with AGRA and other critical stakeholders is to ensure that these three bills
receive the attention required to ensure they are enacted and passed before the
life span of the eight national assembly ends,’’.
She said the stakeholders would mount pressure to ensure
that the bill were passed in order for farmers to get value for was they
invested into farming.
“If we do not pass these bills before the eight assembly
ends, by the time the ninth assembly starts, we are going to start from point
zero. Nobody wants this kind of efforts to go to waste that is our next step.’’
Mrs. Mary Ishaya, the National President, Small Scale Women
Farmers Association (SWOFON) said that there was need for speedy passage of the
bills to assist farmers control losses they experienced daily.
She, however, called on the Federal Government to always
involve smallholders farmers in terms of policy formulation for the policy to
reflect their suffering and avail them with agricultural best practices.
Ishaya said that the involvement of farmers during policy
formulation, will ascertain that farmers understand what the federal government
is planning for farmers’ she added that without bringing farmers’ from the
grassroot, agric development will not be complete, as the peasant farmers are
responsible for most of the food produced in the country today. She pointed out
that the federal government is making up policies that will favour the
political farmers who are the city and not the grassroot farmers’ who are the
brains behind the production of food across the country.
She further urged that it is important that the federal
government speedily pass the awaiting bills, to ensure boast in the production
of food and also avoid food wastages in the country, she stressed that the
three bills are important and needed for agricultural growth in the Country.
The meeting brought together stakeholders from different
value chains of the sector to dialogue on the importance and benefits the
passage of the three bills hold in making Agriculture a viable business in the
country.
The head of fertilizer use and Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) , Mr. Ishaka Buba, said the fertilizer bill
will help in producing quality
outputs by farmers. He said a lot
of Fertilizer Manufacturing industries
produce substandard products.
“There is need for the bill so that the product can be
regulated," he said. Mr Buba lamented that farmers are helpless as they
are being cheated by the manufacturer.
On his part, Timi
Agaba said the warehouses are one of the inputs that will help build
sustainable agriculture in Nigeria.
He said the ware house will help reduce waste of
agricultural produce during and after harvest. He said that "Without good
warehouses, farmers are forced to sell below the cost price. Agaba added that
the warehouses may not be sufficient but will be affordable to small scale
farmers.
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