(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSC02216-300x168.jpg) With oil being discovered in all nooks and crannies of Africa, sustenance of Nigeria's pre-eminence can only be made through the black gold of the next generation – farming and agribusiness.
With fast increasing population and the possible world famine, only nations that take agriculture seriously and feed themselves would rule the world in the next 10 years.
The Nigeria Agriculture Minister, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina gave this hint in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital while addressing the 40th session of the National Council on Agriculture. "Accept it or leave it, agriculture has overtaken oil and gas as the world's bride and falls back to agriculture to compete in the emerging digital age add
ing that Agriculture holds the potentials for future of the world and told the experts that they must sensitize their States to come to grips with something more enduring and sustainable than oil and gas."
Dr. Adesina said 60% of all cultivable land in the world is in Africa and that Nigeria having the largest share of this land means providence is providing us yet another great opportunity to move ahead of the world, industrially, economically and technologically.
He said: "The future can no longer be in oil but something we have invaluable comparative advantage in and it has to be agriculture so there is no future for Nigeria without Agriculture."
On the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) initiative for farmers, the Minister emphasized that the programme has been able to make available farm inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizers to farmers at a subsidized rates without the interference of middle men and fertilizer touts.
Tha National Project Coordinator, WAAPP-Nigeria, Prof. Damian O. Chikwendu delivering a key note address at the Workshop. The Minister also said that the GES Scheme is a new system which allows farmers to be targeted directly with farm input through which we supply our farmers throughout the country, improved seeds free of charge
He added that with the GES initiative, the Federal Government was able to boost local food production as well as increase income of the farmers.
While speaking on rice production, he informed participants that farmers who embarked on dry season farming in 10 northern states were able to make N32billion within the dry farming period. "The total quantity of rice we need to be self sufficient in rice by 2015 is 3.2 Million metric tons and we have been able to produce 1.1 Million metric tons in one dry season, this is a revolution that happened in rice that has never been seen in the history of this country; the farmers cultivated 264, 000 hectares of land and produce 1.1 in one dry season."
The Minister revealed that the Federal Government generated N591 billion through value-chains in rice, cassava, sorghum, maize and cotton in two years. "In terms of impact for value chain, cassava rice, sorghum, maize and cotton, the total gross economic impact contributed to economy is N591billion, while in terms of income to our farmers for those value chain, the total amount of metric tons increased by 174 Billion Naira due to ATA in each of these commodities"; he said.
While calling on stakeholders to embrace local consumption of foods to create jobs and expand farmers' yield, the Minister urged the Ogun State Governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun to further support local farmers in the State with farm inputs.
While declaring the Council meeting open, the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun said that for the State to witness practical growth in its socio-economic development, it must embrace agriculture.
He stressed the need to deviate from the traditional approach and see agriculture as a viable business venture which should be well funded to help realize the dream of making Nigeria an agriculturally industrialized economy.
Amosun made commitments to transform the agric sector in the State through partnership with the Federal Government. He said, about 20,000 hectares of land is currently available in the state for investors to cultivate crops that have market advantage in the State.
"Our approach in Ogun State is not only holistic but prompt. Having realized that land is a key factor for meaningful agricultural development, since the inception of our administration, we have allocated over twenty thousand (20,000) hectares of land to willing agricultural investors at minimal cost"; Amosun said.
The Governor thereafter urged participants to draft policies and programmes that would guarantee production of adequate and quality food supply.
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Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria
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