At AGRIFEST 2015, aspiration meets fulfillment As the global oil price is declining, Nigeria is devising means to diversify the economy to reduce the high level of dependence on oil and look into other critical sectors of the economy. Agriculture no doubt is becoming a good alternative to oil. It is however advisable for Nigeria to tap into the huge potentials of agriculture to improve the country’s GDP. The present administration is currently driving the agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) radically to ensure that Nigeria regains its lost glory in food production. In the quest to achieve this, President Goodluck Jonathan, recently held the first ever AGRIFEST which is an avenue for farmers to display their farm produce. During this year’s AGRIFEST, the President noted that the country’s food production has expanded by 21 million metric tons within the past three years and the food import bill has declined from N1.1 trillion in 2009 to N634 billion in 2013 and continues to decline. It can be recalled that before now, Nigeria with over 84 million hectares of arable land was spending billions of Naira importing basic food which it can produce. While expressing delight over Nigerian seed companies, President Jonathan said “the number of seed companies have increased from 11 to 134 within the past three years, making high quality seeds available to farmers. “I am proud of the Nigerian seed companies, who together have now increased the volume of seeds available to farmers from 4,252 metric tons in 2011to over 149,484metric tons today”. The President further explained that the fertilizer sector is booming with N900 Billion naira ($5 billion dollars) of new investments that will make Nigeria self-sufficient in fertilizers and turn us into a net exporter of fertilizers. “As this happens, the price of fertilizers will decline, and farmers will be able to afford more fertilizers to boost their food production. I celebrate the private sector investors who are boosting our fertilizer sector”, he added that “We have put an end to the corruption that has stunted the growth of fertilizer sector for about 40 years. Our farmers now receive their fertilizers through the electronic wallet system using their mobile phones. Within the past three years, over 14.5 million farmers have been reached through the GES program. Our farmers now receive 2-3 bags of subsidized fertilizers.” President Jonathan explained. Speaking on rice production, the President said over 6 million rice farmers have received improved rice seed varieties, boosting domestic rice production by an additional 7 million metric tons. He also noted that rice revolution is taking place across the country, from Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Bauchi, Gombe, Niger, Kogi, Ogun, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Rivers, Anambra, Delta and Edo to Bayelsa State. “High quality Nigerian rice is now competing favourably with imported rice in the markets. Our rice millers have taken advantage of these new opportunities, and the number of integrated rice mills has expanded from one at the beginning of this administration, to 24 today”. President Jonathan revealed that the government has provided farmers with 130 million stems of high yielding cassava varieties. As a result, cassava production rose from 45million metric tons in 2010 to 55million metric tons. “Today, cassava flour is a partial substitute for imported wheat in bread making. I am proud of the thousands of Nigerian master bakers who have been trained and have taken on the challenge to produce cassava bread through the N1.6 billion fund we provided to support their businesses. Composite cassava-wheat flour by the Flour Mills of Nigeria and Honeywell Group has gone commercial at the industry level with the recent launch of 10% cassava composite flour.” President Jonathan explained. He added that “We have helped to establish over 5,500 hectares of fully mechanized cassava farms in 22 States of the nation. We have also, provided N6 billion to support the establishment of 6 large scale cassava flour processing factories in Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Abia, Cross Rivers and Nassarawa States.” Youth in agriculture has been one of the major targets of this administration. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development had one time said that the Nigerian farmers are aging and the country needs young farmers to drive the agriculture sector. Consequently, the government launched the Youth Employment in Agriculture Program (YEAP), to develop a new generation of 750,000 young commercial farmers and agribusiness leaders for the nation. According to President Jonathan, “We are also catching our youth early to change their mind-set on agriculture, through schools with Agricultural Program”. Mechanization has also been a major challenge in commercial agriculture. Hoe and cutlasses cannot produce the quantity of food that that will make Nigeria self-sufficient. The government had recently approved the provision of N50 billion to support the establishment of 1,200 Agricultural Equipment Hiring Enterprises across the country. President Jonathan said that the aim of providing the N50 billion funds for mechanisation was “to take the hoes and cutlasses into the museums and replace them with tractors and mechanized equipment. Speaking about the oil sector, President Jonathan expressed his excitement at the giant strides the sector has been able to accomplishment under his administration “We are providing 9 million sprouted nuts of high yielding oil palm seedlings for farmers in the south-east, south-west, south-south and north-central parts of our country. Over N45 billion in private sector investments in new oil palm plantations are on-going. We expect 70,000 hectares of new plantations that will make Nigeria become self-sufficient in palm oil production by 2016. I am excited that today, Okomu, Presco, PZ-Wilmar and medium size oil palm estate operators such as Wilbahi are taking the lead in revamping our vast oil palm plantations. We will continue to support the revamping of our oil palm industry and support the private sector to build new refineries to process crude palm oil produced in Nigeria.” He concluded. Also, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina had in a media parley in Lagos said that rice importers owe the government N36.5billion. It is to the end that President Jonathan said “Nigeria our dear country will not be held hostage by rice importers. There will be no sacred cows under my watch. All those owing Nigeria on rice import duties must pay”. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina during his remark at the AGRIFEST said that the agricultural transformation agenda has inspired the youth while appreciating the president in these words “Mr. President, Nigerian farmers appreciate you. We have here today over 20,000 farmers and agribusinesses from the 36 States of Nigeria and the FCT. Today, they are here to celebrate the achievements of your Agricultural Transformation Agenda. So, together with our farmers and agribusinesses, we decided to organize this Agricultural Festival (AgriFest) to celebrate the new dawn of agriculture in Nigeria under your watch and leadership. They have come to say thank you to the President who thinks always about them, to a President who promises and keeps his word, to a President who cares, to a President who they call their own, the Farmers’ President. From the north, south, east and west they have come. Farmers are not on the Internet, they are not on Twitter, so they decided to have a face-to-face time with you Mr. President. ” He stated. At the event, Adesina added that the new generation of commercial farmers and agribusiness leaders, the Nagropreneurs, will further transform the agriculture sector based on the support they have received from the government. “Your agricultural transformation agenda has inspired the youth. The new generation of commercial farmers and agribusiness leaders, the Nagropreneurs, will further transform the agriculture sector. As checks worth N 123 million were given as grants to 27 young Nagropreneurs. This step has opened a great future for them. Mr. President, the harvest is bountiful all across our land. In the past three years we added 21 million MT of food to our food supply. Inflation has been on a downward trend due to higher food production. Agriculture has created fiscal buffers for the economy, as our food import bill has declined. We are now feeding ourselves with pride.” He declared. Adesina took the occasion to applaud the optimism of the President in the face of the flood challenges that reared up ugly heads against the country’s agriculture and food supply in 2012 in these words “When the devastating floods occurred in 2012, the worst in the history of the country, there was panic everywhere. But President Jonathan did not panic. You called me and simply asked “Akin, will we be fine?” I responded, Mr. President we will be fine if we go into dry season farming. On your desk were several requests for waivers by food importers. You believed me and said “go and produce the food in the dry season.” Right in front of me you cancelled all the waiver requests. Mr. President, the dry season farming has now changed the face of agriculture in Nigeria. All across the country, millions of farmers are saying thank you Mr. President. You put the interest of Nigeria and Nigerian farmers first.” He concluded. It is known worldwide that agriculture is the highest employer of labour, both directly and indirectly. Any government that wants to reduce unemployment will pay huge attention to agriculture. Investing in agriculture is investing in the future of the country and that is what this administration is doing.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 03:12:21 +0000
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