Minister, Action Aid, women leader speak to food challenges

 

In a bit to find solution to food insecurity in the country occasioned by flood and armed bandits attack on farmers with resultant hike in produce prices, the Minister of Agriculture, the representative of Action Aid and a leader of women farmers have all spoken on measures to be taken to rescue the nation from food scarcity as predicted by United Nation for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The three personalities spoke on the African Independent Television (AIT) ‘‘Kakaaki’’ program yesterday morning which was monitor when almost rounding up.

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Mohammad Mohmood Abubakar speaking on measures his ministry will take to mitigate food challenges against looming food insecurity saying the newly launched agricultural policy is a well packaged document that would address farming drudgery through application of modern technologies innovation for mass food production with agro inputs distribution to farmers in an appropriate manner, just as he pointed that realignment of new ideas for the sustainability of agricultural policy to avoid policy summersaults in the sector was highly upheld this time around.

Dr. Mohammod Abubakar speaking through one of his directors, the director of agricultural land, Engr. Shehu Bello said the ministry has been able to mitigate challenges of flood victims with releases of food items through National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to the affected states of the nation with agro inputs distributed to affected farmers, adding that the prices of food have been a bit stable due to all these interventions from the nation’s food silos.

The President, Small Scale Women Farmers Organization, Madam Mary Afan however disagreed saying that the government interventions did not most time seek the opinions of the rural farmers so as to be able get accurate result through effective target saying ‘’ Federal Government needs to do more, as we are not saying they are not working, but they need to do more as farmers have handed the hoes back to museum to revert to the use of modern technologies for agriculture’’

Mary Afan advocated for eradication of middlemen from the food productivity value chain through direct procurement from farmers at the farm gate into the national food silos, adding that ‘’ the gender policy on agriculture must be well implemented down to the grassroot  with 35% of the inputs to be given to women’’

Also speaking on the show, the food and agriculture program manager, Action Aid Nigeria, Mr. Azubuike Nwokoye stressed the need for the Federal and state governments to intensify funding into agriculture by ensuring at least 10% of national budgetary resources to Agriculture as stipulated by Maputo declaration, stressed that timely releases of fund into the sector for program implementation is a matter of necessity to meet food security targets.

Action Aid Nwokoye pointed critical at areas of concern to food security in the country saying that ‘‘extension services need a lot of investment, labour saving technologies need a lot of investment, there is need for investment around reducing post harvest losses which include provision of storage and processing facilities, provision of rural ways and access to credit especially for women which their access is just 23%’’.