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By Chinyere Anyanwu, [email protected]
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has listed measures that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) should take to restructure and reinvigorate the ministry to enable it fulfil its role of sustainable food system for the country.
AFAN National President, Kabir Ibrahim, proffered the advice during a recent courtesy visit of the association’s National Executive Council/National Working Committee (NEC/NWC) to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Mahmud Abubakar, in Abuja.
In his address, Ibrahim, noted that the visit was informed by the need to express the association’s solidarity with the ministry and the President Muhammadu Buhari administration over their efforts and achievements in the agricultural sector.
He said, “in order to get to the enviable position of food sufficiency and ultimately food security, we suggest that the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) recently validated and soon to be launched should be properly implemented with stakeholders like AFAN fully involved.”
Among other suggestions of the farmers’ body are that: “The National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) should be resuscitated immediately beginning with the rice displayed in the recent event organised by CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) and RFAN (Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria). It stated that processed rice by accredited millers should be bought directly and sold to the public at subsidised prices; that’s resuscitating the GMP (Guaranteed Minimum Price) too.
“All actors in the agriculture space such as the CBN, NALDA, farmers, etc., must work in synergy to really impact Nigeria’s food system. The FMARDA should spearhead an advocacy drive to get all the 36 states plus FCT to key into the new agricultural policy (NATIP) by convening a proper council on agriculture around mid-March 2022, back to back, with the formal launch of NATIP, with Mr President as a special guest.”
AFAN stakeholders equally suggested that “The Minister of Agriculture shouldhost all farmer organisations in a roundtable prior to the launch of NATIP. The Minister of Agriculture should lead AFAN to pay a solidarity visit to Mr President as soon as possible,” adding that, “the Minister of Agriculture is enjoined to reinvigorate the FMARD by making far reaching restructuring and also evolving a formidable monitoring and evaluation programme to ensure proper implementation of the new agricultural policy.”
He said the above suggestions are not exhaustive while pledging the association’s readiness to offer more suggestions as well as supporting the Minister of Agriculture to succeed in his task of leading the sector to greater heights.
