Address Insecurity to Boost Farming, Reduce Food Prices, FG Urged

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The Chairman of Titan Farms in Oyo State, Chief Gbenga Eyiolawi, has warned that unless all forms of security challenges such as cattle rustling, banditry, herders/farmers conflicts affecting farming activities and related businesses are effectively tackled, the price of food stuffs will continue to get out of the reach of many Nigerians.

This is just as he called on the federal government to create an agency that would bridge the gap between farmers and traders.

The Ibadan, Oyo State-based mechanised farmer, who featured on a radio programme in Ibadan yesterday, said Nigerian farmers have the capacity to produce sufficient food for local consumption and exports, stating that the wide gap between farmers and traders in terms of transportation from the farms to the markets are making farm produce unaffordable to the masses.

He then enjoined the federal government to put in place a system that would address the challenges in order to bring down the food prices in the country.

According to Eyiolawi, “The government owes it a duty to put an end to the security challenges facing the country. Indeed the situation is so bad that farmers are afraid of going to their farms.

“There is also the need to create an agency to bridge the gap between those in the farms and the markets. The agency will regulate the commercial activities of farmers and traders with a view to controlling food prices. If such a good marketing control agency is set up and allowed to function effectively, I can assure you that food security will be guaranteed.”

He similarly called on government at all levels to encourage large scale investments in agro-allied industry by creating the enabling environments for growth and investments in the sector, stating that efforts are being made to encourage more youths in agriculture.

“What our youths want are fashionable jobs, and farming is not. However, on our part, we organise training regularly and give people the opportunities to earn from Titan Farms. Many of the trained youths have been doing fine but some moved away to other businesses after a few weeks because they expected farming to bring money quickly.

“In Nigeria today, many people don’t look into the key areas of agriculture like preservation and storage as good business, what they focus more on are cultivation and processing. But in agriculture, there are different phases, the preparations and seedling stage, which is a major business on its own. The farm management and maintenance stage as well as the processing stage are other areas. The storage and preservation stage, with the marketing and distribution stage are also major businesses which could bring big money.

“And of all these stages, I have mentioned, most people focus on planting, harvesting and processing and leave others. However, those few people participating in order areas are making big money from them, because many don’t look at those sides. What most people understand about farming are planting, harvesting and processing,” he said.