Inflation, insecurity remain our problems –Experts, farmers

 

 

A Cross Section of experts and farmers in the South East have attributed the continuous hike in prices of foodstuffs and farm production to insecurity and multiple taxes.

The groups disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while reacting to causes of soaring prices of foodstuffs.

Mr Azubuike Idam, an Economist in Abakaliki, Ebonyi capital, described the developments as “multifarious” in number.

Idam also blamed the devaluation of naira value, lack of political will in part of government, road, poor infrastructural facilities and inadequate power supply to the problem.

According to him, the collapse is affecting food production, non accessibility to farm land due to invasion by insurgence, poor storage facilities and multiple highway taxation among others.

The expert recommended that the federal government should stabilise naira rate, ensure increase in agriculture production, give facilities to farmers and adequate security to farmers and the entire country.

Mr Albert Eleri, a security expert advocated for advanced security system and approach to tackle kidnaping, communal, farmers and herder clashes in the country.

Eleri said that the advanced measures and action, if put in place, would tackle insecurity to allow farmers, comfortably return to farm to boost productivity.

Mr Linus Ogodo, a farmer, urged the federal government to be proactive and sensitive to plights of its citizens.

Ogodo said that there was a need to introduce ranching to keep livestocks away from damaging crops at farmlands.

He called for availablity of fertilisers to farmers, grain, provision of farm settlement, irrigation facilities especially during the farming period to boost food production.

Another farmer, who gave his name as Ogbonnaya, suggested that  governments should revive silos for proper preservation and storage of grains.

Ogbonnaya also encouraged government to follow up agricultural intervention programmes in the country to ensure it was carried out for the purpose.

Mrs Agnes Igwe, a Civil Servant, also encouraged governments to discourage importation of goods and encourage local content.

Mrs Sylvia Nwafor, Abakaliki resident, described the continuous rise in prices of food stuffs as “frustrating and embarrassing” to citizens.

NAN reports that a custard bucket of beans is sold between N9, 000 and N 10, 500 against N2, 800 and N3000 sold in January.

Also, a tuber of yam is sold between N2, 000 and N13, 000 depending on the sizes.

NAN also reports that a plastic bucket of rice is sold between N 8, 000 and N9, 000 against N 3, 000 in January while a 25kg bag of local rice is sold for N35, 000 and N37, 000 depending on the brand.

Some foodstuff dealers at Ose Okwodu market in Onitsha North, Anambra State said they were not to be blamed for the regular hike in food prices.

The traders made the assertion during an interactive session  with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, (FCCPC), who visited the market to identify factors contributing to the regular hike in food prices.

They identified insecurity, high cost of transportation due to fuel subsidy removal, climate change and inadequate attention to agriculture, as some of the major factors skyrocketing prices of food items in the country.

Mr Cyprian Onyejekwe, Secretary, Ose Okwodu Traders’ Union, said farmers who were the primary producers of food supply were scared to go to their farms due to insecurity.

“The safety of farmers who are the primary suppliers of food, is no longer guaranteed in this country. They are either kidnapped, killed or their farms destroyed by cattle rustlers.

“Even the traders who go to buy from the farms are usually attacked on the road and even pay over N1 million to settle touts along the way. This is really affecting farming and food supply.

“Usually, we spend about N1million to transport goods from farm to markets but now we spend more than N10 million to N15 million.

“So, traders are not to blame for the hike in food prices. It is about law of supply and demand and it is only government that can address these problems.

“If government can urgently address insecurity and strategise on mitigating the impact of the fuel subsidy removal, supply will increase and prices will decrease and stabilise,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr Emmanuel Ndubuisi, Chairman, Grain seed Dealers said that droughts due to climate change destroyed and decreased farming output, especially grains in 2023.

Ndubuisi said that Niger and Borno states which were major producers of grains could not produce enough to feed the nation.

“After planting season last year, at the rate of growth drought damaged the crops which resulted to low harvest.

“Before now, lorry load of grains are offloaded three times every week but due to scarcity, we offload once a week and it affected the cost of grains.

“A 100kg of beans rose from N100,000 to N220,000 and N260,000, a bag of maize rose from N45,000 to N120,000, groundnut rose from N90,000 to N189,000 and a bag of bambara nut now sells for N240,000,” he said.

Other dealers in tomatoes, pepper, onions, fish, potatoes, yam and other food items urged the federal government to invest and  increase budgetary allocation to agricultural sector.

A rice farmer at Ayamelum Local Government Area, Mr Nicholas Ojimba, attributed the increase in the prices of food items to insecurity across the country and seasonal variations.

“Many farmers like myself no longer go to the farm again because of insecurity. Herders destroy people’s farms, kidnap and attack farmers. It is affecting the source of food supply

“Also the seasonality of some food items make their prices flunctuate. Farmers return to the farm during the rainy season and we usually experience a hike in prices at this period,” he said.

Mr Gabriel Orie, Chairman of Ogbunka Farmers cooperative, urged the federal government to establishing ranches as open grazing is destroying farms, causing food insecurity as well as destroying the economy.

“We urged Nigerians to consider ranching as a viable option at this critical time where food scarcity is causing hike in prices of food stuff, “he said.

A Professor of Agricultural Extension, Prof. Hyacinth Nwalieji, urged government at all levels and stakeholders to tackle the challenges of climate change and flooding to ensure sustainable agricultural produce and food supply.

Nwalieji, a Lecturer at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Anambra, said though agriculture was highly dependent on the climate but the climate change such as drought and flooding could also have negative impact on crops and soil.

He advocated for policies and investment to promote climate-smart agriculture.

“Over the years, adverse effects of climate change and annual flooding have continued to make farmers vulnerable.

“The attendant devastation and destruction of farmlands by flood resulted in poor food supply due to unpredictable yields and produce,” he said.

Nwalieji called for the adoption of modernised or climate-smart agriculture in the face of climate change.

According to him, climate-smart agriculture included investment in irrigation, improve seed production system, upgrading crop storage facilities, improved low cost processing machinery and technology.

Meanwhile, Enugu State Government says it has taken proactive measures to tackle high cost of food and insecurity in the state to boost food sufficiency.

The Director, Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP), Dr Ogbonna Onyeishi, said that it was important for farmers to increase production to reduce the scarcity and high costs of food and to have enough of the produce in the coming years.

“Onion, tomatoes, pepper popularly known as Nsukka pepper, rice, cassava farmers are encouraged to increase production to reduce high costs and scarcity and have enough of the produce in the coming years.

“Inputs like seedlings, fertilizers, sprayers and others are distributed to those farmers in the state,” Onyishi told NAN.

According to him, onions, tomatoes and pepper are presently cultivated in the Nsukka  Local Government Area of the state.

The Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria ( AFAN), Mr Romanus Eze, expressed the hope that there would be a boom in cassava production in the state.

He said that the boom would lead to job creation and reduction in poverty and hunger in the state.

He said that the state government had began the massive cultivation of cassava in the last quarter of 2023.

He noted that cassava farmers were ready to put in their best to ensure the massive production of the staple food in the state.

NAN reports that the state government had earlier announced its plans to earmark over 100,000 hectares of land to boost cassava production for export and job creation.

The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Patrick Ubru said that the state government had partnered with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, to establish an Agro-Rangers Squad.

He added that the Agro-Rangers Squad, meant to complement other security outfits on ground, would be all out to protect farmers and farmlands in the state.

“This squad with specialized training on agricultural protection and other technological gadgets will checkmate all forms of insecurity complained about by our farmers, both commercial and smallholder farmers in the state,” he said.

According to Ubru, the Enugu State government has intensified cassava production by targeting over 500 hectares of farmland in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of the state, as part of efforts to boost food security.

He said that it would also create jobs and grow the state’s gross domestic product (GDP).

He added that farmers were being trained by the state government on various agricultural best practices and how to identify and prevent cassava brown streak disease.