The recent scarcity of cassava that led to increase in price of the produce was majorly because of insufficient production to cover local consumption and increased exportation if the produce.
If care is not taken, the same problem would be felt in the yam produce subsector of the agricultural production because we've not increased production while encouraging exportation. It is also of great conveinence for foreign buyers to come with dollars and buy up these agricultural produce due to the strength of the dollar against our weak naira. I even heard the Chinese merchants now go from farm to farm by themselves to get cassava.
If we want to produce enough agricultural produce for local consumption, industries and export, the solution would be agro marketing!
Agro marketing where an agency of the federal or state government or private registered agency is the chief buyer at a government regulated price and at a government registered venue. The regulated price should be enforced so the private agency or middlemen don't manipulate it while farmers should also be properly educated. While many farmers especially youths are discouraged in farming is because of lack of market and where one exist, they're cheated by middlemen. Also Farm inputs for old farmers especially net for rice farmers would further increase production.
Once farmers and aspiring farmers see that they can make adequate profit in farming, more people even civil servants would join!
If care is not taken, the same problem would be felt in the yam produce subsector of the agricultural production because we've not increased production while encouraging exportation. It is also of great conveinence for foreign buyers to come with dollars and buy up these agricultural produce due to the strength of the dollar against our weak naira. I even heard the Chinese merchants now go from farm to farm by themselves to get cassava.
If we want to produce enough agricultural produce for local consumption, industries and export, the solution would be agro marketing!
Agro marketing where an agency of the federal or state government or private registered agency is the chief buyer at a government regulated price and at a government registered venue. The regulated price should be enforced so the private agency or middlemen don't manipulate it while farmers should also be properly educated. While many farmers especially youths are discouraged in farming is because of lack of market and where one exist, they're cheated by middlemen. Also Farm inputs for old farmers especially net for rice farmers would further increase production.
Once farmers and aspiring farmers see that they can make adequate profit in farming, more people even civil servants would join!
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