The nation's river basins need to be renovated by the federal government in order to promote year-round farming, boost output, and reduce food inflation.
Professor Olufemi Ajayi of the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, made the call on Monday. He lamented the country's river basins' abandonment, pointing out that this development has hampered Nigeria's efforts to achieve food security.
In order to produce food all year round, he continued, the government needs to revitalize the river basins.
"That is the only way forward," he declared, emphasizing the necessity for the government to register, empower, train, and safeguard farmers as well.
“It is unfortunate that we had to wait till this time when people are now protesting because we have been raising this long before now that food crisis was looming.
“Food crisis is ahead of us; not just because of production alone but because we have relied too much on importation.
“Since we have relied too much on importation, now that the dollar has been liberalised, the cost of importing these foods will definitely go high, and the cost of producing within Nigeria will also go up,” he said.
In addition, he called on the federal government to address the issue of insecurity surrounding food-producing states since farmers were afraid to go back to their fields.
“We are going into the wet season soon, many of the farmers are still scared, they are afraid and they can’t go near their farms.
“Insurgency is the beginning of our problems. The government should provide security for the farmers when they are assured that their lives and property are protected, their investments are secured, then they can gladly go onto the field and start all the processes of production,” he said.
“Why do we have grain reserves? It is because of any eventualities like climate change problems, floods, challenges of insurgency that may cause relocation and dislocations and a lot more.
“That is why we keep grain reserves. We do not have production challenges that would have led us into consuming those grain reserves,” he said.
The don stated that harvests should not be released from grain stocks since it is improper.
“Why do we have grain reserves? It is because of any eventualities like climate change problems, floods, challenges of insurgency that may cause relocation and dislocations and a lot more.
“That is why we keep grain reserves. We do not have production challenges that would have led us into consuming those grain reserves,” he said.
According to Ajayi, releasing wheat from the country's stocks wouldn't solve the current problems unless steps were taken to guarantee that the grains reached every household.
According to Ajayi, the Federal Government needs to take a comprehensive approach and bring in specialists to propose long-term solutions in order to manage the country's escalating food inflation.
As a result, he pleaded with the government to work with professionals, academics, investors, and farmers to identify issues facing the agriculture industry and suggest solutions.
“There is no production on-going presently, how are we going to refill our grain reserves? Are we still going to resort to importation to refill it? What we are doing presently is like addressing the problem from the top; whereas we should look for the root of the problem, and it will be solved,” said Ajayi.
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