Experts canvas for speedy passage of bill...

* 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.