Commends Buhari for listening to publications by Vanguard

By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

In reaction to President Muhammadu Buhari’s national broadcast on Monday overextension of the earlier declared lockdown and stay-at-home orders for another 14 days to further contain the raging Coronavirus, COVID-19, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Tuesday, demanded special allocation for food production and agricultural activities to avert food crisis.

This was stated by the National President, AFAN, Architect Ibrahim Kabir while speaking with Vanguard on their position and subscription to another 14 days lockdown and stay-at-home order declared by the President.

Kabir said the priority is of the necessity for special financial attention for the sector following the strategic role it plays in critical situations as this, hence should be a speedy facilitation of the needed attention from the government in collaboration with the association to ensure a hitch-free food production.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Without adequate food our situation’ll worsen — AFAN President

Meanwhile, he also appreciated and acknowledged Vanguard Newspaper continuous publication of calls by the association on the President and he listened to do the needful by charging the Minister of Agriculture, Vice Chairman, Food Security Committee, and the Chairman of Presidential Fertilizer Initiative Committee to work together to cushion the pandemic’s effect on 2020 farming season.

He said: “The President acknowledged the clarion call of the Vanguard Newspaper by charging the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Vice Chairman Food Security committee and the Chairman Presidential Fertilizer Initiative committee to all work in tandem with the PTF to make Agriculture the focal point of the food system!

“It is a necessary pill but more far reaching palliatives like providing funding for small-business-reactivation and special allocations for food production and other agricultural activities  during and after the pandemic.

“The economic consequences of the lockdown are so enormous that no one is spared. We must develop a strategy for the reinvigoration of the economy to avert famine.”

However, the AFAN boss said government should commence drawing a post COVID-19 recovery plan in order to quickly fix the collapsing economy by embarking on short, medium and long term economic programmes and policies that would reduce impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.

“We ought to start drawing up and evolving an implementation strategy for a post COVID-19 recovery plan. It is a very serious business that calls for focus and decisive action”, he said.

It will be recalled that AFAN had commended effort by the government to stem the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, but raised concerns over partial lockdowns announced by the federal and state governments to safeguard the lives of Nigerians, hence the need to consider up-scaling food production and making food available, accessible and affordable to Nigerians.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Why we want FG to focus on food production, availability — AFAN

AFAN also had warned that, “Without adequate or sufficient food our situation will worsen. The vehicle for the attainment of food sufficiency in Nigeria today is the SHF ( Small Holder farmer) no polemics about it.

“The lack of sufficient farm mechanization, inadequate energy to support value addition and prolonged shelf life of harvested perishable produce, post harvest losses due to poor handling and a host of other issues are risk factors to the attainment of food sufficiency and therefore food security.

“If the SHFs cannot readily go to their farms to grow what we will all eventually eat there will be untold hardship in Nigeria.”

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