If FG Fails to Secure Farmers, Food Prices will Remain High – FACAN

The Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) on Wednesday warned that if the Federal government of Nigeria fails to secure the lives of farmers, food prices will continue to increase.

According to VanguardNG, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, BoT, FACAN, Dr Victor Iyama, expressed that the primary issue is to guarantee the security of farmers and their property for more food that will lead to affordability, availability, and accessibility.

Iyama also pointed out that the issue of releasing grains from the grain reserves is a temporary solution. Still, the government should treat the problem of securing farmers with all seriousness, which previous governments had not given due attention to.

The temporary measure of releasing grains to cushion high food prices in the first instances, how many people will it get to, well it is a good step but we should be talking more about how we can secure our farms and lives and property of our farmers in a situation where we go to farm we will be looking over our shoulders if they are coming or not,” he said.

In addition, Iyama said, “Food security is the security of the lives and property of the farmer, and if you do that, you will know that Nigerian farmers cannot only feed Nigerians but feed the whole of Africa, and it is as simple as that.

We should not shy away because if you cannot protect farmers, there cannot be food in the country. For me, we are not getting it. What we have in the silos cannot even satisfy one State.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Inuwa Garba (APC-Gombe), during plenary in Abuja on Wednesday, called for an investigation into the concession and privatisation of the silos meant to provide relief in terms of emergency over what he called a wrong decision of the government.

Read more: Oyo State has not received any additional N30 billion from FG —Makinde to Akpabio

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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