2020 Agric survey reveals huge loses, says ED NAERLS, Kabba
·
Bayelsa/
Ogun lose N18.5 billion on fisheries
·
Bauchi records N278m on cattle
·
Niger state N341m
·
Rice, maize record N33b loss
·
Farming infrastructure N1b
·
Advises govt on refilling empty silos
The 2020 Annual Agricultural Performance
Survey (AAPS) has unveiled that billions of naira have been lost to flood
disaster of year 2020 with many infrastructures being destroyed with grains and
fisheries in different states of the federation.
This was disclosed today
during a short interview session with the Executive Director (ED) National Agricultural
Extension Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) Kabba, Kogi state, Prof. Emmanuel Ikani on
Kakaki, African Independent Television (AIT).
Speaking on the finding of the survey already
submitted to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD),
Ikani pointed that Bayelsa and Ogun states recorded a total loss of N18.5
billion on fisheries to flood, while Bauchi alone recorded N278 million on
cattle as Niger had loses of N341 million, saying that the incident has
contributed to the emptiness of our food silos based on the palliative given
out by Federal Government (FG) to affected farmers and victims of insurgency
across the nation.
He added that
the survey finding attributed about N33b worth of rice and maize as also being lost to the flood in the same year with Kebbi state recording highest colossal
lose in rice production with no specific amount mentioned just as he mentioned
that One billion naira was lost to farming infrastructure nationally.
Responding to high prices of food, he said
that efforts must be galvanised through the use of improved seed varieties by
farmers with best agronomic practices through extension workers for major crops,
adding that high food productivity would bring about excesses to fill the empty
silos.
The performance survey has recommended
according to him the need for efficient early warning sensitization to farmers
at the grassroots through strategic campaign with seasonal rain predictions of
Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) being taken very serious as extension
training on best agronomics on the use of improved crop varieties that is flood
resistant are being taught farmers in the grassroots.
He advised government to take agricultural development
very serious saying lip service to the sector would not deliver us from the
challenges confronting it saying ‘’ hunger does not belong to any political
party, government must stop playing lip
service and stop politicizing food’’
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