Agriculture
TAYO Adewunmi, the National Project Coordinator of Fadama lll AF, says land development is the major entry point to attain zero hunger.
Adewunmi made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja on the World Hunger Day.
The World Hunger Day is celebrated annually on May 28 globally to find sustainable solutions to end hunger and poverty.
Adewunmi said that many people in the world were suffering from hunger with majority of the extreme poor living in rural areas.
“It is necessary to invest more in agricultural and rural incomes to eliminate hunger, malnutrition and poverty.’’
He said it became imperative for the three tiers of government to mobilise people at the grassroots to build self-reliance and empower women as key agents of change.
Fadama boss said that government should invest more in land clearing as this would support farmers, attract more youths into agriculture to ensure food security to end hunger and attract more investments in agribusiness.
“Land clearing is one of the major challenges limiting the interest of the youth to venture into agriculture and almost all of them lack the financial capacity and no access to credit facilities to provide funds for clearing of large farms in line with good agriculture practices.
“This is affecting food security and limiting the farmers’ capacity in terms of output and if a country is not food secured there will be food shortage leading to hunger and malnutrition,” he said.
Adewunmi said that government should also improve on supply of fertiliser production, steady supplies of pesticides, improved seedlings and farm equipment to farmers to make farming less risky and cumbersome.
“This is in a bid to achieve food security and economic growth through agriculture.’’
He said that good access roads in the country would further boost agricultural production as it played a major role in the movement of farm produce.
According to him, this will also guarantee further production because farmers will have assurance of getting their produce to the markets.
He noted that the leadership also had important role to play in the fight against poverty and hunger with special focus on development of agriculture, climate change and job creation.
Adewunmi also warned against food wastage, describing it as very inimical to the fight against hunger.
He challenged the stakeholders in the agriculture sector to unite to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture as priority due to the ever increasing population.
Adewunmi said that eradicating hunger and malnutrition “is one of the great challenges of our time’’.
According to him, now the consequences of hunger is leading to sever suffering and poor health, affecting the progress in many other areas of development like security, education, employment and social development.
He also called for the re-introduction of school farming to attract the youths into agriculture at the early stage of life.
World Hunger Day was launched by The Hunger Project in 2011.
It is aimed to inspire people all over the world to show their solidarity and support for the women, men and children that are ending their own hunger and poverty. (NAN)
– May 28, 2019 @ 17:32 GMT |
Tags: Land development central to zero hunger – Fadama
