Delayed funding for 2024 Agric impact farming, South West faces famine

There is a great indication that the year 2025 may be faced with another food shortage as the funding to prevent such has been delayed by the Federal Government ( FG) just as South West states May face serious famine due to neglect of the sector.

A source close to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS) told Foodfarmnews that the late release of funds for the 2024 budget will negatively impact on essential inputs procurement to farmers thereby shortchanging the rainy season harvest towards food security for now and next year.

 The source noted that the release of the fund now in July/ August ending would only be useful for 2024 dry season cultivations preparation, but not for the rainy one anymore. “ the funding delay will shift the FG's support to the dry season which begins towards the end of this year, and the rainy season of next year. The inputs procured will cover both seasons, ensuring a buffer for March and April 2025, even though the next year's budget is delayed" said the source. 

He further said that the continuous delayed budget funding for agriculture would no doubt raise concerns about food security and seriousness of FG to its renewed hope promises for the sector. He noted also that reoccurrence of delayed budget towards this sector may not be helpful to food security and the development of an efficient food system. 

Meanwhile, our finding in the South Western states of Nigeria on agriculture and food development have reflected a looming famine, reason being the total neglect of the sector by the Governments. Our finding revealed that the challenges confronting farmers in this region is day by day increasing without solution at sight as prices of food are daily going beyond control. 

The challenges faced by the farmers include insecurity, unbridled sales of rural farmlands and their conversion to housing estates. Lack of financial support is also an identified potent problem that really affects food production in the region. The issue of famine was raised by a group while the members called on the FG to find a potent solution to the problem of Fulani herds men in the region.

 Although, cogent solutions were provided at a meeting hosted by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) and attended by agric commissioners of Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Lagos some time ago it was resolved that the creation of a specialized unit within Amotekun to tackle the herdsmen invasion, massive land clearing, enhanced security, large- scale production of short-term crops like maize, sweet potatoes, vegetables, revitalization of dams for irrigation, improvement of mechanization across the value chain, adoption of cluster farming model, expansion of input distribution and establishment electronic agric database are some of the steps to be taken to change the situation.