Expert advocates climate-smart agriculture, agroecology practices

The need for governments at all levels in the country to invest in climate-smart agriculture, agroecology practices, and efficient irrigation systems that can improve the resilience of farmers to withstand environmental and climate shocks has been stressed.

The assertion was made by a Chief Agriculture and Nutrition Desk Officer, Bauchi State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,  Mahmood Umar Bala.

The recommendation was contained in his presentation titled ‘Cadre Harmonise’ Analysis and Identification of Areas at Risk and Populations affected by food and Nutrition Insecurity in 26 States of Nigeria and the FCT’ at the State Committee on Food and Nutrition (SCFN) second quarter meeting held in Bauchi.

Mahmood Bala also said that between March to May 2024, no local government area in Bauchi State was classified in Phase 4 which is emergency, and Phase 5 which is famine, but over 700.000 persons are in the crisis phase, while some 2 million persons are in stress phase.

According to him, ” It is projected that between June to August 2024, half of Bauchi State population will be in the minimal phase if adequate Humanitarian assistance does not get to the populace.”

The report recommended that the government should implement social protection law using the social register to identify and support conflict-affected households and vulnerable persons.

Also, he stressed the need to reposition the agricultural sector with a focus on the mechanization of agriculture in Bauchi, subsidized fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, and other farming inputs.

The Cadre Harmonise is a unifying consensual and rigorous tool that helps to produce relevant and transparent analysis of food and nutrition security situations.

The meeting of the State Committee on Food and Nutrition was to strengthen the coordination mechanism of SCFN for the delivery of multi-sectoral intervention approach to nutrition in the state.

It was also to assess the performance of nutrition indicators for better tracking of efforts and subsequent decision-making towards addressing the identified gaps and challenges.

Chairman of the Committee and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget, Economic Planning and Multilateral Coordination, Jibrin Yusuf said that the State is so passionate about improving the nutrition status of the citizens.

He added that all decisions from the meeting will be channeled to the State Council on Food and Nutrition where policies are developed tailored towards addressing malnutrition.