OYO State Director, Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Ogunwale Adeniyi has warned that the nation is on the verge of food insecurity except the current food and nutrition challenges are efficiently tackled.
According to Ogunwale, the nation continues to be faced with key gaps in agriculture today that include its inability to meet domestic food requirement, and inability to export at quality levels required for market success.
To address the challenge, Ogunwale said it was imperative for government and the governed to collaborate whereby government harnesses and mobilises human resources of the country into actionable programmes that will make meaningful impacts on the economy.
Ogunwale made this call during the training and empowerment of 40 Smallholder Rural Households on Best Practices for Backyard Poultry Production, in Ibadan, Oyo state.
Speaking, Ogunwale charged Nigerians to, in their little ways, help tackle insecurity through their backyard farming.
On government’s part, Ogunwale said the current administration implemented the Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP) among other programmes aimed at promoting agriculture, empowering people, improving the livelihood of rural smallholder farmers and solving unemployment in the country.
The event saw 40 persons across the state trained on backyard poultry production, and receive 5-week old birds, anti-stress drug and bag of grower feed as starter packas.
Ogunwale warned the beneficiaries against selling their starter packs but use them to improve themselves.
Furthermore, he urged the beneficiaries to make better use of the training and follow guidelines to improve their ways of poultry production.
Ogunwale said, “It is no news that presently the country is battling with food and nutrition challenges which if not tackled may result into food insecurity, as Nigeria is at the verge of economic downtown.
“I will like you to note that the present government recognises the need to harness and mobilise the human resources of the country into actionable programmes that will make meaningful impacts on the economy. Nigeria is faced with key gaps in agriculture today: an inability to meet domestic food requirement, and an inability to export at quality levels required for market success.
“Solving these two key gaps by the federal government are the major fulcrum of Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP), the activities embedded in the APP of the current administration from 2016.”
Mr Okunlaya Adekunle, who represented the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono asserted determination of the federal government to eradicate poverty through provision of employment opportunities, especially on the agric value chain.
Nanono urged the beneficiaries to judiciously utilise the inputs given them to good use for themselves and their communities.
He also urged the beneficiaries to multiply their starter parks which amounts to them helping to ensure food security.
Other dignitaries present were Director, Agricultural Extension Services Mrs Ibukunoluwa Iroko and others.
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