The cost of agricultural produce in Nigeria is often more expensive than foreign counterparts, making the local alternatives less competitive on many occasions, experts say can be addressed if agronomic practices are improved in line with modern practices.
Earlier, what is known today as modern agriculture helped in meeting a growing demand for food by the world’s population. Yields of primary crops such as rice and wheat increased dramatically, the price of food declined, the rate of increase in crop yields generally kept pace with population growth, and the number of people who consistently go hungry was slightly reduced.
This boost in food production has been due mainly to scientific advances and new technologies, including the development of new crop varieties, the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and the construction of large irrigation systems.
“We appreciate the Anchor Borrowers’ Program of the Central Bank of Nigeria. It will boost food security. At the same time, Agricultural Commodities required for Industrial use need to cost less for its products to penetrate the international market. This is beyond what our aging farming population can provide,” said Segun Adewunmi, president, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA).
Adewunmi added “We need modern practice of agriculture that only the educated youths can do. For example, Malaysia and other countries have started to use micronutrients to upscale Cassava yield from between 10-22 MT with average 18 percent starch content per hectare obtained in Nigeria to over 100 MT with 40 percent starch content. Apart from Gari, no Nigeria Cassava product can penetrate the International market on the account of its cost of production.
“All the noise about Cassava chips are blatant lies. It costs N100,000 in Nigeria to make a ton of chips that sells for N40,000 in the International market. Right now, Nigeria has over 70 percent of her population as farmers but also import over 70 percent of her food. It implies that an average farmer in Nigeria cannot feed his family, whereas Ireland exports over 90 percent of her food to other Countries. Prosperity in Agriculture can only be achieved through the practices of modern Agronomy.”
The importance of increased modernization in farming and improved agronomics was also emphasised when rice production in Ebonyi state was observed to be as low as 1.5 metric tonnes per hectare.
“It has been low, with us having maximum of three tonnes per hectare. We also gathered that why we are having a lot of challenges include lack of knowledge on proper agronomic practices in rice cultivation. Also, lack of incentives which accounts for farmers sometimes starts late, and in addition, many times, the farmers lack funding to really take care or maintain the farms.
“With the incentives now provided to farmers, including machinery and also improved seedlings, we are expecting nothing less than four to five metric tonnes per hectare as yield.”
The adoption of proper farm practices, experts say will improve on yield and see prices of commodities selling more competitively.
CALEB OJEWALE
