Food security: FG to industrialise agric sector ― Minister

The Federal Government has said that there are moves ongoing to industrialise the agricultural sector for increased productivity and competitiveness across the local and international market.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, disclosed this at the maiden edition of the National Agribusiness Stakeholders and Investors Summit and Nigeria Farmers and Agribusiness Award held in Abuja.

The Summit was organised by the Africa Farming project (AFP) (publishers of the Africa Farming Magazine), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and the Pan-African Agricultural Journalists Association (PAAJA).

The Minister also said that the government is investing in the development of additional 10 large scale integrated rice mills across the country with a combined minimum capacity of 320 metric tons per day which when completed will enhance Nigeria’s self-sufficiency in rice production.

He said the agenda of the government is to guarantee the vibrancy of the sector; agriculture must be seen as a business and haven for investment.

“Government is committed to industrialising the agricultural sector for increased productivity, efficiency and competitiveness across Local and International markets.

Agriculture is now being acknowledged and promoted as a business and not a development program away from the primordial perspective and able to sufficiently satisfy the socio-economic needs of its practitioners and grow the nation’s economy.

“Our agenda is to guarantee the vibrancy of the sector; agriculture must be seen as a business and haven for investment. We are integrating food production, storage, food processing and industrial manufacturing to establish the linkages necessary in the agricultural commodity value chain,” the Minister said.

He further stated that the value chain as a development strategy considers the role of the players from food production to consumption and is designed to empower the smallholder producers, ensure that processors have good quality raw materials and the consumers accept products with satisfaction.

Quoting Statista 1st/2nd quarter report 2020, the Minister said that agriculture was the only sector in Nigeria that recorded marginal growth during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown spanning through the 4th quarter of 2019 to the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2020 with an average contribution of 24.23 per cent to the nation’s GDP.

He also stated that the Ministry partnered with the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative to facilitate increased domestic production and marketing of NPK fertilisers at affordable commercial rates and timely delivery to farmers.

“This has aided resuscitation of 41 blending plants, improved quality control, created about 250,000 jobs, saved foreign exchange and supported food security in the country,” he added.

In his remark, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, expressed optimism that it will further encourage and trigger more commitment towards increased growth and development for agriculture and agribusiness.

Umakhihe who was represented by Mrs Fausat Lawal, Director Special Duties at the Ministry, emphasised that the private sector will remain in the lead as process drivers for the agricultural sector, while the government continues to facilitate as well as provide supporting infrastructures, systems, control processes and oversight.

He, however, said the forum is a veritable platform for awareness, sensitization and interactions among our farmers, agripreneurs, investors, professionals, policymakers, other stakeholders on policy reforms, and other developments in the agricultural sector.

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Food security: FG to industrialise agric sector ― Minister