2020 flood:  Threat to Nigerian’s efforts to food sufficiency- AFAN

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The rate at which flood has continued to threaten many parts of the country since the beginning of the farming season has become a source of great concern to the All Farmers Association of Nigeria(AFAN).

The AFAN President Arc Kabir Ibrahim, has therefore said the situation portend a serious obstacle to the realization of the anticipated bumper harvest this year.

Ibrahim said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has not however helped matters going by its half-hearted and late flag off of the 2020 farming activities.

Worrisome was the recent flag off that took place on the 7th August, 2020 in Owerri, Imo State which has not in any way encouraging the farmers to put in their best in securing food for the nation.

Ibrahim

On the menacing effects of the flood that peeked since June, he said;  “As one traverses the nation from Dankama in Katsina State to Dutse In Jigawa State , Birnin Magaji in Kano State, Osogbo in Osun State,Ogbomosho in Oyo State,Nkwere in Imo State,Calabar in Cross River State etc. it’s all green signifying a potential bountiful farming season.

“The floods in June up to early August all over the nation have washed away burgeoning crops and livestock enough to make the farmers apprehensive of imminent food shortage,though!

A farmer ruminating over his losses amidst flood

“For those of us living in the fringes of the Sahara our large ruminants are mere skeletons because animal feed is very costly and very hard to come by,” he stated.

He decried the high cost of maize that has affected poultry industry, condemning the scarcity of the staple food that has also pushed the price far too high over N18,000 per100Kg.

The situation he said has been compounded by the global  COVID-19 that has kept farmers indoors for too long. However, the association suggests such remedies to reduce its effect as:

The re-establishment.of GMP( guaranteed minimum price) for  produce, immediately signing into law of Bill for the reestablishment of the NFRA( National Food Reserve Agency), and the urgent establishment of NADF(National Agricultural Development Fund) should.

Other recommendations made are, the need for the government to as soon as possible establish SEED FUND, appointment of special adviser on FOOD SECURITY and the reappraisal of FMARD through a PIVA( Partner Institution Viability Assessment).

Ibrahim therefore reminded the government that it becomes counterproductive not to including Nigerian farmers where decisions that concern them are being taken.