Over the years, the jingles about returning to agriculture has increased. Even a child would tell you that the solution to the Nigerian problem is returning to agriculture.
The problem I have with those advocating for a return to farming has always been emphasis on exporting agricultural produce for foreign exchange. The truth is that we are not yet self sufficient and therefore should not be talking of export.
One of the reasons why the prices of agricultural produce are costly and scarce today is because a large chunk that should have remained in circulation has been moved to the port for export.
The local industries cannot even depend on our agricultural sector because of inconsistency in supply. If we therefore desire our industries to grow, it's time we stop export and focus first on local production and satisfaction. The excess can serve as export.
It is good that the clamour for Nigerians to return to agriculture from the Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration of 1976 has been sustained by successive government. However, the problem with most of the call to return to agriculture is that those clamouring for such end with the thought of exporting the agricultural produce, this I disagree with. The question is ‘who are the farmers?’ because most times we want everybody to go back to the farm and if I understand what we are saying we are simply encouraging subsistence farming which from age past have never reduce unemployment or increase government revenue. What types of agriculture should we then do?
Comments
Post a Comment