By Gabriel Ewepu

AS farmers risk their lives to produce food for over 200 million mouths daily, the Chairman Board of Trustees of the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria, FACAN, Dr Victor Iyama, weekend, called on the Federal Government to prioritize the security of farmers to boost food security.

Iyama speaking with Vanguard said the insecurity on farms is worrisome and poses a threat to food production, even as the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, released a report that 26.5 million Nigerians will experience a food crisis in 2024.

According to him, the recent short–, medium— and long-term plan to boost food and nutrition security released by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is good, but the major issue is to ensure the security of farmers.

He said: “What should be done differently as I have always mentioned is to make sure whatever intervention they are doing goes straight to the players in the field, and once if they can ensure that and of course, security of lives and property of the farmers because there is no gainsaying if we go the farms and be looking at our shoulders in fear of terrorists and bandits.

“That is one key factor that we must take into consideration. So security is above everything.”

However, he noted that it is a herculean task to secure the farms, but could be done through community security arrangements.

“As far as we are concerned, securing the farms is a very difficult thing but then we are going to have community security and vigilantes are not easy to secure even to the remotest villages. I am involved and I know, the greatest agricultural impediment in the country today is security.

“If we can take care of that there will be a boom in the agricultural sector. So if we can achieve that to secure the farms it will bring about huge agricultural productivity”, he said.

He also pointed out that farmers are still very passionate about food production and availability, therefore, they go to their farms to cultivate crops and rear animals to feed the nation, and so, they need support from the government to frontally tackle the wave of insecurity that had claimed lives of farmers on daily basis across the country.

“Many of our farmers are very passionate about what they are doing, and it is their doggedness that is making food available in our rural area.

“So for me, the number one thing is to take care of lives and property of the farmers, and it is not really about rolling out plans for the sector”, he added.