Centre Advises Govt On Free Feeding Scheme

The Communications Di
rector, African Centre for Food, Agriculture and Sustainable Development ( Afri-CASD) Mr Bolaji Akindehinde, has called on the Federal Government to partner local farming in its planned free feeding scheme for students across the country.
In  a statement obtained by The Tide from Agro Nigeria, Akindehinde explained that partnering with farmers to drive the initiative would boost food production locally and help reduce the rate of post-harvest losses.
The Afri-CASD boss who spoke during a recent briefing in Abuja opined that engaging the farmers in the scheme would drive positive changes in the economy.
According to him, apart from motivating the farmers to contribute more, it would also redirect their mindset in the federal government’s sincerity to diversify the economy and develop the agric sector beyond what many believe to be lip service.
“Can you imagine what will accrue to farmers if the federal or state governments patronize farmers directly through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development or States Ministries of Agriculture while implementing the free school feeding” he said.
Akindehinde expressed the view that the scheme would make farmers not to continue to be at the mercy of buyers who take undue advantage of them due to poor sales and storage challenges.
He also spoke of possible factors that discourage youths in agriculture and food increase to include lack of infrastructure, weak markets, inadequate finance and post-harvest losses amongst others.
It could be recalled that the free feeding scheme for students was one of the campaign promises made by President Muhammadu Buhari.