Experts Urges FG to Expand Agricultural Programmes

Agricultural experts in the country have urged the federal government to expand its agricultural policy programmes so as to support its drive for food security.

They disclosed this at the Africa Agri Expo, with the theme; “Your Gate Way to Agri Business in Africa”, held in Lagos.

They agreed that despite various challenges affecting the Nigerian agriculture sector such as use of manual farm tools and method, lack of road network, water and electricity, lack of food storage or processing facilities, lack of scientific and technological know-how and global warming, it was imperative for the government to introduce initiatives that would grow the sector.

They noted also that there was need to intensify rural electrification programmes to cover all rural villages in the country, as well as to invest in rural infrastructure development that would promote private investment in agriculture and facilitate linkage of agriculture to industry.

Speaking at the event, the General Manager, International Business, Sonalika Tractors, Rupesh Khanna, said mechanisation was the only way to feed about 200 million people and get surplus for agro-allied export.

“Nigeria has the ninth largest arable land with currently 7,000 tractors; based on the size of the farmland, Nigeria should have nothing less than 70,000 fully-functional tractors,” he stated.

On her part, the Chief Executive officer, Awesome God Agro-allied, Precious Awesome, said she ventured into production of banana and plantain sucker multiplication and enhancement products, because there was no way one could farm profitable and productively without crop nutrients.