As Nigerian farmers join the rest of the world to celebrate the 2020 World Food Day, stakeholders have appealed to the Federal Government to support agriculture in Nigeria in order to end hunger.
Some of the stakeholders, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) commended the Federal Government and farmers for doing their best to ensure food security in the country.
National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Kabir Ibrahim, said that despite the issue of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, farmers across Nigeria have been working round the clock to see that there is food on every Nigerian table.
Ibrahim said that farmers across the country need unwavering support from the Federal Government so as to redouble their effort in food production.
“We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for giving agriculture an atmosphere to grow, but we still need government to do more to ensure good seeds for farmers and modern inputs to assist farmers.
“We appeal to government to reappraise the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and also appoint a Special Adviser on Food Security,” he said.
The President of Women Farmers Advanced Network, (WOFAN), Hajia Salamatu Garba, disclosed that 120 threshers and reapers were distributed to farmers to mark the 2020 World Food Day.
Garba noted that Benue, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Jigawa and Adamawa states are part of the beneficiaries.
She added that the gesture is aimed at uplifting the beneficiaries’ economic independence and self-reliance, as well as enhance food security and improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Garba appealed to Federal, state and local governments, and other agricultural agencies to support farmers in order to improve productivity.
NAN reports that the World Food Day is usually celebrated on Oct. 16 with the theme of the 2020 edition as: Grow, nourish, sustain together. Our actions are our future”.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN designated 16 October as World Food Day in 1979. (NAN).
