News in Brief:
– Insecurity in Nigeria is causing farmers to abandon their lands, raising fears of food shortages next year.
– The country’s association of cocoa and plantain farmers calls for increased government funding for agriculture and improved security measures.
Increased banditry and kidnapping are driving Nigerian farmers away from their lands, according to a recent outcry from the Cocoa and Plantain Farmers Association of Nigeria (CPFAN).
This raises concerns about looming food insecurity in the nation with the association’s president, Ayodele Ojo, expressing worry over the rising number of killings and destruction of farmlands by bandits and kidnappers. He told news reported that this threatens Nigeria’s food self-sufficiency ability.
Ojo’s claims that many farmers have abandoned their crops due to fear. He alleges that the perpetrators, who include herdsmen, have taken over these lands while security forces seem unable to intervene.
The inability to access farms for harvest creates a double problem. Farmers not only lose their livelihoods but also risk losing their crops as bandits steal them, further impacting food security.
Furthermore, Ojo highlighted the urgency of the situation. He stated that a food shortage could arise next year if the security issues are not addressed.
CPFAN opposes grazing reserves, proposes alternative solutions
Additionally, the CPFAN reveals that it is not in support of the creation of grazing zones proposed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The association’s head argues that such zones would exacerbate existing problems and hinder efforts to improve food security.
He views grazing reserves as a repetition of ineffective past strategies. Instead, Ojo proposes alternative solutions, including increased funding for agriculture and improved security measures in collaboration with local communities.
Ultimately, he expressed confidence in the government’s ability to solve these issues. He advocated the increased investment in the agricultural sector and collaboration with farmers to achieve food security and maintain Nigeria’s status as a leading African nation.
