By Olukayode Michael, Damaturu
Africa needs to embrace new modern agricultural practices to harness his great potentials and build his depleting economy, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has said.
It also said: “For agriculture to become more sustainable and productive in Africa, governments at all levels must be at the center of agriculture programmes.”
These were the words of FAO Representative in Nigeria, Suffyan Koroma at the opening of a retreat organized by the Yobe State government to design a blueprint for enhancing agriculture production in the state.
Koroma, in a statement on Friday, was quoted to have said at the retreat, that: “Through improved knowledge on best agricultural practices, small scale farmers will be better equipped to derive optimal returns from their farms and become key contributors to market systems.”
Koroma said FAO is interested in the outcome of the retreat which has government agencies and other development partners in attendance.
Koroma, who on the sidelines of the event met with the Chairman, Presidential Fertilizer initiative, Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Jigawa state and the Chairman, Presidential Task Force Committee on Rice and Wheat Production, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, noted that the retreat will produce an actionable plan for overhauling agriculture for sustainable economic growth in Yobe.
The FAO Representative also reiterated FAO’s support to the recovery efforts in the state which is in its fourth consecutive year, while highlighting the need to provide vulnerable smallholders with inputs and capacity building to produce their own food, making them less dependent on humanitarian assistance. The Yobe State Governor, Honourable Mai-Mala Buni, while welcome all stakeholders to the retreat had said: “Yobe can reach full economic potential if its agricultural strengths are properly harnessed. He indicated that the objective of the retreat is to bring stakeholders together to design a roadmap for translating agricultural production in the State from subsistence to a market-oriented venture.”
He added that: “As the State recovers from the impact of the conflict, establishing a viable agro-economy is crucial to transferring its populations from aid- dependence to self-sustenance. The governor highlighted that the support of development partners like FAO is crucial to realizing this goal.”
Yobe in northeast Nigeria is principally an agrarian state with potential to produce crops such as sesame and gum arabic on large scales. The state is also home to one of the biggest cattle stock in the country. However, crude agricultural practices and poor knowledge of good agricultural practices among small scale farmers, worsened by a regional armed conflict, are major challenges preventing the state from achieving optimal production.
