Flood: Minister allays fears over food shortage

Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has assured the country that it would not be plunged into food crisis or famine.

He gave the assurance on Saturday at the 2012 National Agriculture Show in Tudun Wada, Nasarawa State following concerns of likely food shortage as a result of flooding in the country.

He stressed that the Federal Government had resolved to set up a Flood Recovery Food Production plan to support farmers in the flood affected areas.

“We have already put in place a Flood Recovery Food Production plan to support farmers in the flood affected areas.

“As the flood water recedes, we will embark on a flood recession food production intervention.

“Let me assure Nigerians that we shall not have food crisis or famine and we will recover from the flood.’’

The Minister said that over 100 metric tonnes of maize seeds that mature in 60 days, to be planted on 5,500 hectares of farm lands in the affected areas, had been secured.

This, he explained, would allow affected farmers to have crops quickly and feed themselves before the next planting season, adding that it would yield over 11,000 tonnes of the crop.

“This will be complemented with an additional 500,000 tonnes to be produced under irrigation in the dry season,’’ he said.

Adesina also said that the Federal government had, in the past one week, mobilised from within and outside Nigeria, over 20,000 metric tonnes of rice seeds, enough to plant on 400,000 hectares of farm lands in the flood affected areas.’’

He added that this would allow the production of 1.2 million metric tonnes of rice grains.

According to him, planting materials for cassava and yam would also be made available and that government was making accessible food, from the strategic grain reserves, to the affected States.

Adesina restated the call to protect farmers from the impact of climate change stressing also, the need to increase the weather-index crop insurance scheme for farmers.

“The flood is a wake-up call and with changing weather patterns, we must now develop policies for protecting farmers from the impacts of climate change, especially droughts and floods.

“We need to scale-up the weather-index crop insurance scheme for farmers.

“Area-based flood insurance schemes must be put in place to ensure disaster payments to farmers and communities from floods and droughts that occur over vast areas and well beyond individual farmers.

“We must move towards small scale water management systems, that are cost effective and which empower farmers to harness rain and underground water for food production,’’ he said.

As part of the flood recovery food production initiative, the minister said that the ministry would “distribute 1,000 pumps to farmers to be able to use for flood recession food production in the dry season’’.

Earlier, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Agricultural Foundation said that the foundation, in its pursuit to revive the country’s agricultural past glory, would move beyond lamentation to action.

He said the show was aimed at, not only, showcasing the country’s abundant agricultural resources and potentials, but also, exposing farmers to improved methods, practices and ideas.

He added that the show would continue to attract both foreign and local investments as well as promote debate and discourse over new developments and policy directions for the sector.

Adamu also reiterated the need for government to tackle the security challenges as well as the natural calamities facing the sector.

He commended the efforts of President Goodluck Jonathan at giving relief to flood victims, urging also that the funds allocated be judiciously used.

The Senator said that the foundation would do its best to ensure that the Presidents’ Agricultural Transformation Agenda is successful.

He called on Banks to grant facilities for agricultural projects in order to achieve the desired outcome.

For Ms. Louise Setshwaelo, Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in the country, government should use the show to strengthen the Co-operatives system in the country.

She emphasised that co-operatives across all sectors, provide 100 million jobs around the world, 20 per cent more than the recognised multinational enterprises.

Setshwaelo added that the opportunities provided by the show should be harnessed to strengthen public-private-partnerships.

This, according to her, would allow government to provide the required enabling environment for the private sector to profitably invest in agriculture. (NAN)