elmahdys2019-blog

[elmahdys2019-blog]

AGRICULTURE AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN FOOD SECURITY It is no gain-saying that agriculture is the foundation of the development of any society. This was manifested in the pre and post-independent Nigeria when the economy of the country was built around agricultural produce largely through the efforts of the peasant farmers who in addition to the production of Ground nuts, Cottons, Cocoa and Shea nuts for export also produced enough food for consumption by the citizenry. It is also a known fact that the economy of Niger state is largely agrarian and the sector provides employment to over 75% of our people. This is a sector that is so dear to my heart because I have a natural passion for it. The agricultural sector would be accorded a priority attention. Farmers would be supported to acquire skills and knowledge to contribute effectively to the economic growth of the state. A sustainable agricultural revolution would be embarked upon by initiating and implementing the following: a) Provision of subsidized inputs to farmers i.e. fertilizers, improved certified seeds, agro-chemicals, small/large irrigation equipment and agricultural machinery like tractors, power tillers, weeding machines, planters, trans-planters, harvesters, etc to be available all year round through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement using cooperative societies as vehicles for service delivery. The era of profiteering on subsidized fertilizer meant for farmers would be over. b) A deliberate plan would be embarked upon to exploit all potentially irrigable areas across the state. Farmers would be encouraged and empowered to engage in dry-season farming to reduce our dependence on rain fed agriculture and to encourage economic activity all year round. c) In close consultation with the leadership of “Farmers or Commodity Associations” we would strengthen grain marketing activities through better market arrangements to enable the “Farmers or Commodity Associations” compete favorably with their peers in other parts of the world and serve the West Africa sub-region. The idea is to transform their organization into “Marketing Companies” capable of administering a N5 Billion facility to be backed by Government guarantee. Arrangements would be made to enable them issue “producer contract” to large scale farmers across the state as a way of driving production-a reminiscence of the defunct ‘Marketing Board’ or Ground nut Board’ in the old Northern Nigeria. They would be encouraged to set-up a micro finance bank to foster grain marketing transactions. Appropriate warehouses and other infrastructures would be designed and constructed for them using band facilities with government guarantee. A detailed plan of action for the “Farmers or Commodity Associations” would be unfolded later, after due consultation with their leaderships. d) Farmers’ cooperative organizations would be encouraged to enable them benefit from several government facilities including the Central Bank’s Agriculture Guarantee Fund. The cooperatives would be the sole-dealers in subsidized agriculture inputs at the “ward level”. e) The State’s Agriculture Development Project (ADP) now called Niger State Agricultural Mechanization and Development Authority (NAMDA) is to be reorganized to intensify extension advice to farmers, organize production of seeds and seedlings and would undertake regulatory functions for quality assurance e.g. produce inspection in the agricultural sector. Other initiatives to support evolution of “young modern farmer” and service provider in the sector would be carried out by the rebranded NAMDA. f) The Cooperative Financing Agency (CFA) would be strengthened and its capacity enhanced to ease subsidy administration for agricultural inputs, and agricultural credit delivery to farmers. g) New initiative for the evolution of “young entrepreneurs” to provide services in the agricultural sector like tractor hiring, spraying and produce storage would be undertaken.