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Peter Osalor, an agribusiness expert has urged Nigerian farmers to scale up their enterprise focusing on value addition, in order to improve their global market share, while also earning more revenue for themselves.
Peter who made the charge at the launch of his book ‘The farmer Entrepreneur -A practical guide to starting your agribusiness’ in Abuja, noted that the world need farmers to succeed and fight global hunger.
“The World Bank, the African Development Bank, the USAID has concluded its research and said that farmers scaling up their agribusiness practice will address concerns of hunger, malnutrition. Farming and agribusiness is on top the radar to fight global hunger.
“Most of our youths think farming is dirty, and think more of music. But it is the farmers that make the food available for the musicians. There is so much money in farming than any other sector currently,” Peter said.
The unemployment rate in the country is currently put at 29 million. The last quarter of 2016, from the National Bureau of Statistic, puts it at 14.2 percent.
“The book has explained step-by-step guide on agribusiness for our youths. And I make bold to say that nobody has excuse to be poor in the country, once you can till the ground, in addition to our good Weather,” he said.
Also, speaking at the launch, Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development represented by Obinna George Okpara, a director in the Federal ministry of Agriculture, said, “The Federal government is determined to build an agribusiness economy capable of ensuring food and nutrition security, as well as broadening national revenue base and supporting sustainable income through promotion of entrepreneurship for fostering youth participation in Agriculture.
He adds further that the Ministry of Agriculture has already translated the vision of the present administration in the ‘Green Alternative’ which is a roadmap that guides agric entrepreneurs into Agribusiness.
Nigeria used to be a major player in agriculture, especially in the 60s, and the current effort of the present administration is already setting the tone, to attract more youths into agribusiness, without necessarily waiting for a white collar job which is not there, the Minister said.
