IFAD Gives Recipe For Increased Food Production

Increased agricultural production is best achieved through a combination of improved seeds, input and the right mix of technology rather than expanding land for cultivation.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Country Programme Manager in Nigeria, Mr Abdoul Barry, gave this recipe while speaking with newsmen in Abuja.

Barry noted that the use of improved seeds was minimal in African agriculture in general, even though research had provided such seeds.

He said that to encourage the use of improved seeds, the seeds should be multiplied so that farmers could have access to them.

“The use of improved seeds is very minimal even though research has provided hose improved seeds. “So what we need to do now is to multiply the sees so that farmers have access to them.

“There are several ways of doing it. The best way to do it would be either to have a group of farmers who are there to multiply the seeds and also they become professional seed producers. This is one good way of doing it.

“But sometimes, we also have seed companies. Seed companies have been doing it already. It is also good to take advantage of them.”

Commenting on farmers’ access to fertilizer, Barry noted that the method of subsidy administration appeared neither efficient nor effective.

He suggested the “voucher system” of subsidy application, which according to him has been found to be effective in the few states that had experimented on it.

“As you know, fertilizer is being subsidised in this country. The way it has been done so far, it looks like it is not working well.

“The people who really need the fertilizer are not the ones having access to it, so we need to think about another system.

“I have seen in some countries where the voucher system has been put in place, including actually in Nigeria. This is something that we will look into, to enable farmers to have access to inputs.”