The federal government has said that it is working on a web application to train farmers on the best farming practices for different crops.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi said this during an interview on Channels Television, Sunrise Daily program.
Hon. Sabi Abdullahi was reacting to questions concerning extension services to train farmers on up-to-date practices in farming.
According to him, the rationale for the app development stems from the low ratio of farmers to extension workers in the country.
He said, “We also realise that the ratio of extension workers to farmers is still something that many extension workers will not have the required information. Right now, we are currently working on an E-extension program. We are going to develop an app to be translated into the major languages so that farmers will be able to access to guide their operation”
The minister further assured Nigerians that commodity prices will soon decrease due to several programs and interventions by the Federal Government. He explained that the country has historically relied more on rainy-season farming and emphasized the need to take dry-season farming more seriously.
Speaking on the reaction towards the federal government’s plan to import certain food commodities in the country in the next 150 to 180 days.
He said that it is a short-term strategy to augment supply and in the immediate future, prices will come down.
What you should know
Nigeria is currently witnessing one of the worst food crises in generations with food inflation at 40.87% in June 2024.
Already, international development organisations project that around 32 million Nigerians will face a severe food crisis between June and August 2024.
Last week, the federal government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Sen. Abubakar Kyari announced plans to allow duty-free importation of food items such as maize, rice paddy, and wheat for 150 days as part of measures to stabilize market prices.
This move contradicts the earlier stance of the Presidency on food security, with President Tinubu asserting that Nigeria will produce its food rather than import it.
The decision to import food has sparked criticism, particularly from farmers. The President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) stated that food importation would undermine the progress made in rice, maize, and wheat production.
Also, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina called the policy depressing and said Nigeria cannot import its way out of food insecurity.
