Lack of farm access roads threatening food security --- Agriculturists


 Some agriculturists on Monday attributed the low production of commodities to lack of farm access roads and urged the Federal Government to improve the country’s road networks toward ensuring food security.
The experts told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the roads must be improved for the diversification drive by the Federal Government to non-oil economy to succeed.
Mr Olawale Bankole, Head of Agriculture Department, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, told NAN that the poor farm access roads were a major contributor to high cost of produce.
Bankole said that the trend was a threat to the sector becoming the mainstay of the country’s economy.
``Talking about farm access roads has to do with getting your farm produce to the market on a smooth road, putting into consideration the nature of farm produce.
``There are negative effects on both animals and crops because when you take an animal for a long journey on a bad road, it will tell negatively on them, likewise crops.
``Most areas where people farm do not have good roads, so farmers improvise their means of transportation which may cause a lot of havoc on the farm produce.
``That is why we have high inflation on food, for instance, a farmer maybe produced 10 tons of crops worth N50,000.
``Then by the time he gets to the market he has less than 10 tons because majority of them have gone bad, he will still want to maintain that N50,000 because that is the cost of production,’’ he said.
Bankole said that agricultural produce were not to be kept on the road for too long but because of the bad roads, farmers transport their goods in trickles.
Mr Sotonye Anga, the Chief Executive Officer, Universal Nigeria Ltd, an agro-based firm in Lagos, told NAN that bad farm access roads had led to huge post harvest loses.
Anga, said that for the country to ensure that there was food security, the government should construct farm access roads in rural areas.
``Poor farm access road is a big burden on Nigerian farmers which has led to huge post harvest losses and loss of revenue for farmers.
``Go to most rural areas, you will realise first hand and see how agricultural produce perish and our farmers just watch helplessly.
``Food prices at farm gate is low and during harvest season the major challenge for farmers is how to move their produce.
``To boost food availability and security, I urge the government to build access roads in rural areas where we have our farms across the country,’’ Anga said.
Also, an Agro-Consultant, Mr Nnamdi Ifenkwu, said that lack of farm access roads was predominant in the eastern parts of the country where heavy crops like yams and cassava were grown.
Ifenkwu told NAN that farm access roads to arable farms had challenged the development of the sector for a long time.
``The non-availability of farm access roads to arable farmlands has been a predominant challenge.
``Most farmers that have their farms very far from their residence find it difficult to bring their produce from the farm.
``However, this challenge is very predominant in the eastern parts where most of the crops grown are cassava and yams which are very heavy,’’ he said.

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