Govt Seeks Agro-Processing Dev Prioritisation 

Federal Government said it would prioritise increasing agricultural processing capacity in the country.
This, it said, it would do by establishing several cottage industries to produce staple food products in which it has comparative advantage.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, disclosed this, at the recent 45th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development (NCARD) in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Umakhihe, who was represented by the Director, Department of Agriculture, Land and Climate Change Management Services, Shehu Bello, said the government would ensure a steady off-take of produce from out-growers, enhancing the income of farmers and entrepreneurs across  commodity value chains.
According to him, “the Ministry will collaborate with state governments and other stakeholders towards improving the agricultural commodity value chain development to enhance the livelihood of the smallholder farmers”.
In a statement by the Chief Information Officer, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, the Permanent Secretary said the agriculture sector requires deliberate decisions being taken to boost it.
“The agricultural commodity value chain development as a cornerstone and strategic implementation imperatives for the prevailing sectorial policy framework requires a robust discussion and deliberate decisions on intervention models”, the statement noted.
He said the foundation to achieve the desired success is to commit to the provision of incentives, increase the output and quality of agricultural commodities to meet and surpass national requirements, as well as achieve a diversified economic base with Agriculture leading the way for the non-oil sectors of the economy.
He noted that through the launch of National Agricultural Technology Innovation Plan (NATIP)  2022 – 2027, the Ministry has demonstrated commitment of the sector to address conceivable challenges bedeviing the sector, with a focus on strengthening and developing the agricultural value chain.
The impact, he said, has been enormous as it contributes to food security, increases productivity and efficiency, engenders diversification, generates higher incomes and reduces post-harvest losses and above all, generates employment opportunities.
He urged the stakeholders to approach the deliberations with broad mind, and add value to all the issues for the overall impact of the sector in the economy.
He also implored them to proffer concrete and practical suggestions that would assist the Council in reaching meaningful decisions.
The Plateau State Commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Hosea Finangwai, on his part, sought that the memorandum for the upgrade of the potato station at Karu be given priority on its merit.
He added that the state accounting for over 90 per cent of the production, livelihood and income of farmers is currently threatened by the monstrous potato blight.
The programme was themed, “Strengthening Agricultural Value Chains Development Process for Food Security and Economic Development”.