Our position at the new policy draft, AFAN President

The President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Architect Kabiru Ibrahim has said some major positions have been taken to ensure a better food system with wholesome productivity through a new National Agricultural Policy draft that must be integrated into National Development Plan of 2021-2025, 2026-2030 and agenda 2050. In a telephone conversion with Food Farm News last Friday, Arch.Ibrahim Kabiru said the position of farmers’ were well spelt out in about eleven clear points including crops production with full support to the new National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan (NATIP) to achieve sustainable food security.

 Kabiru said ‘’ Our initial positions have always been that government should present a policy to replace the APP that expired in 2020 as the two former Agriculture ministers were doing things haphazardly. The present minister has a listening ear as he was advised to consolidate on the APP since there were gaps in food security due to COVID-19, insecurity and none performing of the last two ministers of agriculture. Upon this advice, there is a need for revalidation of the policy right across Nigeria in the six geo-political zones. AFAN was invited, and our people were the people that make inputs in various regional meetings. So, the one of the national that was held yesterday at the National Air Force (NAF) centre, we as AFAN also played a very prominent role. 

In my goodwill message, it was stated that AFAN supported the entire policy as we also suggested areas that must be properly looked into with the aim of firming them up through inter-agencies synergy with the main ministry as we condemned a situation where many agricultural interventions are being carried out without the FMARD involvement. On crops production we suggested the need for import substitution consideration to reduce foreign exchange being expended on them just as we mentioned that market must be considered with wholesome products that meet standard of many nations using best agricultural practices. 

Also we talked about the need to consider climate change that has affected calendar year of crops’ planting and production with the view to give a considerable measure of timely inputs distribution to farmers at any agricultural interventions. We also suggested that all farmers’ stakeholders must be involved in the implementation process of the policy by coming together to speak as a vioce just as the issue of security that will allow farmers’ access to their farms be taken very seriously. Also we noted that post-harvest losses should be tackled as 45% of agricultural produce suffer this percentage losses which is not good for our food security.

 Finally, we suggested that the new policy should be tied to National Development Plan, 2021-2025, 2026-2030, and agenda 2050’’