The Federal Government through the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has introduced a ‘Restoration Project’ to assist over 3.5 million displaced farmers in a move to crash prices of foodstuffs.
NALDA Executive Secretary, Cornelius Adebayo, told journalists yesterday in Abuja, that the initiative would bolster national food security as a significant portion of Nigeria’s farming population has been displaced due to insecurity.
According to Adebayo, displaced farmers would be provided with land, inputs and training to resume productive farming activities.
He explained that one of the key interventions under the strategy is the Renewed Hope Farm Settlement Project, inspired by the historic farm estates of the Western Region.
He further clarified that the clusters would assemble farmers in protected and well-equipped environments to address challenges such as farmer-herder conflicts, logistics, monitoring and security.
He pointed out that NALDA had introduced trenching systems, a four-feet-deep barriers around farm clusters to enhance security and prevent unauthorised access and ensure controlled input distribution and mechanisation access.
“This initiative allows displaced farmers to produce food for their sustenance while contributing to national grain reserves. Government can also purchase their produce for price control and food distribution, ensuring stability in the market.
“In these clusters, we are digging protective trenches around farms, making it impossible for unwanted parties to invade, this improves security and ensures that government-provided inputs reach the intended beneficiaries.
“Through these clusters, we are not just increasing fish production but creating a network of entrepreneurs in fish farming.
“In developed countries, you don’t depend on open-field vegetable farming for food security, we must adopt modern agricultural methods.”