Nigeria Moves Against Food Importation, Registers 14m Farmers

By Lawal A. Dogara,Kaduna
A group, the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) has said that plans to curb food importation into the country were in top gear, chief among was the identification and registration of local and mechanized farmers not fewer than 14 million to boost agricultural production in the country.
It said this was in line with overall transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, noting that in 2013, the country imported rice worth N1billion naira which could have been produced locally, describing it as unacceptable.
The North-west Regional Director of ATA, Dr. Leo Nyam, who made this known Monday in Kaduna while briefing Journalists on activities of ATA, said it was in order for the national to have food security, that the federal government registered farmers to produce a valid data base which would in turn, reduce importation at least, by 20%, encourage the farmers and creating employment opportunities for young people who may want to become agriculturalists.
He said the focus was to address continuity, consistency and commitment in agric projects from all layers of people so that every value along the value chain could be looked into as value chain.
He added that FG in addition to free hybrid seedlings was no longer importing fertilizer but now in the hands of agro farmers even though some of them do not have enough capital, which he added, were now available at redemption centres at 50% subsidized rate.
He stressed further that for 2014 wheat/pack exercise, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Adewumi Adesina has approved N922 million to mop up 7,000 metric tonnes of breeders foundation and certified wheat seeds for the envisaged expansion in the wheat value chain.
He mentioned some of the challenges confronting agricultural development in Nigeria which include “newness of the programme, weakness in farmers’ cooperative group formation, farmers excitement with ATA, slow pace of development of private sector driven, public sector enable marketing corporation, communication.