The federal government yesterday unveiled a strategy for the country’s agricultural sector in a move to address challenges in food production and nutrition.
The strategy seeks to build on lessons learned in the implementation of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) 2022 -2027.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari who unveiled the plan in Abuja, highlighted the focal areas that hinge on integration, sustainability and resilience to Nigeria’s agricultural sector challenges.
The strategy is divided into immediate, short, medium and long-term that span across the value chains of agriculture such as investment in women and youth in agriculture, animal feeds as an antidote to the farmers and herders clashes, reforms in agricultural research, take-off and operations of the National Agricultural Development Fund, agricultural mechanisation and others infrastructures to accelerate food production.
Other areas mainstreamed in the strategy are development of a national agricultural database, establishment of new agro-tourism hubs, establishment of animal diseases free zones among others.
In addressing the most pressing needs in the sector, the minister said the federal government was currently handling preparation for the next dry-season farming beginning with plans to cultivate 70, 000 hectares of wheat in November with a target production of about 875,000 metric tonnes.
He also announced the National Agriculture and Food Security Summit coming up in November 2023 which intends to bring relevant stakeholders together for the development of a national action plan for food security with an implementation and sustainability strategy.
The minister assured stakeholders that the issue of ‘political will’ as an impediment to policy actions in the ministry was now a forgone issue.
Kyari stressed that the underlying challenges in the sector require innovative and trending solutions which are better understood when recounting the challenges of insecurity, youth unemployment and increasing population.
