Agriculture Will Put Nigeria Back on Track - Farmers' Group



LOKOJA - The President, Kogi Agricultural Production Cooperative Federation, KAPCF, Dr. Yakubu Ugwolawo has challenged the Federal. Government to mark its words on economic diversification from oil by providing government will towards agriculture; said that agriculture is one of the major resources that would put the country back on track.

Ugwolawo who made this known yesterday in Lokoja while addressing newsmen on the need for President Muhammed Buhari to put an end to the dwindling fortunes of the economy of the country by embracing agriculture, which he noted was the traditional mainstay for the sustainability of the communities that made up the present Nigeria.

According to him," One of the embarrassing features connected with the development of agricultural sector of the country's economy is the lacklustre attitude of all tiers of government to develop effective policy which would ensure that more than 75% of the population, who are employed in the sector, imbibe active and mechanised processes to maximise agricultural production in the country.

"Nigeria has more than 923,000 sq km of land area, blessed with natural factors to support all kinds of agricultural production, yet the nation import almost everything that we need in the sector worth billions of dollars annually.

"Efforts made by past administrations to promote agricultural sector have woefully failed, and every idea needed to provide solution should be put in place now, if we have to survive as a nation," he advised.

He also challenged governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and other state governors to put a vigorous drive into the agricultural in order to compliment the Federal Government efforts in that sectors.

He however solicited Kogi state government supports for the Kogi Agricultural Production Cooperative Federation, KAPCF, which he said will serve as catalyst for the promotion of massive production of agriculture produce through the use of modern technology.

He also called on all stakeholders of agriculture in the country and Kogi State in particular to work out modalities for enhancing agricultural production, "The issue of making land available to cooperative unions/societies and indeed, individual farmers for agricultural purposes without undue encumbrances should be worked out immediately.
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