Esther Salifu
The National Integrated Agribusiness Agenda, (NAGB) has emphasized the need for farmers to move from subsistence agriculture to commercial Agriculture.
The Executive Director of NAGB made this known during a 2- days workshop organised with the objective to formulate a working document for the NIAA in Abuja May 30th &31st .
The Executive Director said: “It is quite obvious the one agenda right now is food security to be able to feed ourselves and in cases where the food is available it is quite expensive.
“It is clear that the producers of this food are the small scale farmers who provide commodities to million of Nigerians , because their capacity is poor , the timing is poor , the skill set is poor.
There is need for a paradigm shift , there is need to move from sustainace Agriculture to commercial Agriculture”
“To increase the skill , productivity, increase the size , the timing is now , infact it is over due we should have been on that case before now”.
However, the President of NAGB, Architect Kabiru Ibrahim, said one of the problem farmers encountered is insufficient mechanization, adding that the population of farmers in Nigeria is high.
Ibrahim said “the population of the farmers in Nigeria today is in excess of 70% because we don’t have sufficient mechanization.
“As we get mechanized, the number of farmers on the field will subtract because machine power will regulate to human power .
“The large scale producers are taking over because they are using machines and technology’s for they using many things , so for Nigeria this is work in progress for now the center of discussion should be on small scale producers”.
“I feel happy to ensure and give them a good value , this is only incentive that will make them migrate from sustainace farming to business “.
Speaking further, the Executive Director, Jafarau the organisation is working with the Ministry of Agriculture and its agencies to implement policies thaf will impact small scale farmers.
He said:“So we are trying to support that transition from just a farmer to a producers of business. Small scale producers from small scale farmers in making our food security agenda a success”.
“The NABG as part of this project we are working on is heavy on policy works , so we are looking critically at some of the policies and how they impact small scale farmers, and in doing that we are identifying areas that need either improvement or support implementation of this policies in a way that it will help the farmers .
Also speaking the NIAA facilitator, Professor Suleman Aminu emphasized the need for government and NGOs to support small scale producers.
“They have to come together they government must be there for us, federal ministry of Agriculture Food and security have an extension, state ministry of agriculture also have an extension they work with , all other NGOs they have to come together support the small scale producers, to be guided by a robust agenda.
“For the benefits of small scale producers because when you promote them it will promote the value chain.
“Know that you are knowledgeable and experienced that is why you are invited here , as soon as am done , I will talk less so that I will listen more and more from you in other to be able to generate the output.
“Whether their are producers or they are processors , whether they are marketers, they are all benefiting from the activities of the small scale producers just as mr President mentioned.
“They have to come together the government must be there for us, federal ministry of Agriculture Food and security have an extension, state ministry of agriculture also have an extension they work with , all other NGOs they have to come together support the small scale producers, to be guided by a robust agenda.
“For the benefits of small scale producers because when you promote them it will promote the value chain”
“Know that you are knowledgeable and experienced that is why you are invited here , as soon as am done , I will talk less so that I will listen more and more from you in other to be able to generate the output.
The CEO of Extension Africa ,Tajudeen Yahaya also said the workshop is to discuss how farmers can move from small scale to small scale business that need support services to grow.
