The minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono has stated that Agricultural Mechanisation is the solution to food crisis and has the key to achieving food sufficiency and job creation in Nigeria.
The policy is expected to involve a full technology package transfer that will cover all stages, from agricultural production to industrial processing, packaging and marketing.
The minister stated this during a recent courtesy visit to the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun in Abeokuta.
Alhaji Nanono informed that the federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari would commence Agricultural Mechanisation initiative in the next three to four months. “The programme will be private sector driven. Government would only create the enabling environment and offer assistance where necessary,” he said.
Nanono noted that Ogun State was paramount in Cocoa and Rice production and there is need to revive the cocoa industry in particular.
According to him, “We must develop new cocoa varieties in Nigeria because the new cocoa varieties will yield in two and half years.”
He reiterated that the programme would have service centers across the country, 140 processing centers, and it would enhance production, create more jobs and grow the nation’s Internally Generated Revenue.
In his speech, the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun stated that Ogun is the closest state to the biggest economically viable state- Lagos and also the food basket of the nation. He pointed out that the state has keyed into federal government programmes in the agriculture sector.
He informed that there is massive investment in capacity building especially in extension services, which aims at improving yields in farm products like cassava, maize, cotton, rice, among others. He further said that the State runs background checks for the extension service workers to ensure accountability and transparency.