•Say hunger, insecurity still widespread
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Last week, President Bola Tinubu, while addressing the joint session of the National Assembly to mark the June 12 democracy day, gave himself a thumbs up in the agricultural sector.
Specifically, President Tinubu described the sector as ‘sexy,’ which implies that a lot has been achieved since assuming office in May 2023.
But some experts in the sectors have argued that there was nothing ‘sexy’ about the sector as millions of Nigerians still grapple with hunger, micronutrient deficiency, skyrocketing prices of foodstuffs and insecurity.
A farmer, Hassan Kabiru, said the President was playing politics and with words, given the current reality.
Kabiru said he did not expect anything less than what the President said because, according to him, every administration would praise itself for the optics. He cited insecurity and the high cost of inputs as some of the banes crippling the sector.”What’s sexy about the agricultural sector when millions of farmers have abandoned their farms for fear of being attacked by herders?”Look at the investment in the sector, it is shrinking. We only import because the production level is low. When the environment is not conducive, you cannot say the sector is sexy. Most of the farmers in Benue State are in a pensive mode over the killings of over 100 farmers by suspected herders.
“And nothing has been done to either arrest the perpetrators or put an end to the problem. Plateau, where Irish potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables are produced, is struggling with insecurity. Is that what you describe as sexy?”
A pepper farmer, Mohammed Abubakar, complained about the high cost of pepper and other commodities in the market.
“A basket of fresh pepper is hitting N200,000 to N250,000. How much do you want me to sell in the market? You can see things yourself. The cost of transportation is telling.
“The government should invest in dry season farming by providing inputs for farmers. What’s happening with the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA)? I am asking because we have not heard about it. If the recapitalisation has been done, one could simply agree with Mr. President that the sector is sexy.
“But as it stands, I stoutly disagree with him. Look at the internal circular issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, urging people to come out to pray for food production. If the memo did not leak, the staff would have gone ahead with it.
“The retraction is simply because of the backlash, nothing more. That goes to tell you that the government is unconcerned or lacks the political will to address the food drought.”A member of the Small Scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria (SWOFON), Nkechi Emmanuel, questioned the whereabouts of the tractors the government promised to purchase.
Emmanuel said: “It is laughable, honestly. There is nothing we have not complained about. It seems the government is not listening to Nigerians. Where are the tractors the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, promised farmers? We have not heard from the government since then. So what is sexy about it?
“Most farmers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, do not have lands to cultivate crops. We need help. Enough of the long speeches, we need action to tackle hunger.”But a Director in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, who opted to be anonymous, said the government had made some gains.
“It is expected for Nigerians to complain. I did not expect anything less than the reactions. We need to cut the President some slack because it is not easy. Last year, a 50kg bag of rice was sold and bought for N92,000.
“As I speak with you, it is around N80,000. Is that not sexy? The cost of beans has also crashed. It may not be what we expected, but we have made some gains. I learnt that the cost of pepper is high. It will soon come down.
“So, it is okay for His Excellency to praise his administration. We are making progress,” he said.