Agriculture
Scientist Urges FG To Promote Agric Local Content Commercialisation
A scientist, Dr Olubunmi Ibidapo, has called on the Federal Government to promote the utilisation and commercialisation of local content and indigenous agricultural produce in the country.
Ibidapo, a Principal Research Officer, Department of Food Technology, Federal Institute of Research, Oshodi (FIRO), said on Tuesday in Lagos that there was need for urgent government intervention.
She added that lack of government support and promotion of indigenous agricultural produce was hindering the utilisation of local content.
Ibidapo said with the continuous increase in the price of wheat globally, it was high time the Federal Government embraced and promoted the inclusion of at least 10 per cent of cassava flour and wheat flour in bread making.
According to her, wheat price globally is on the increase which is as a result of Russia /Ukraine war which has actually affected food prices globally.
“Nigeria being a blessed nation, we are the largest producer of cassava in the world with 21 per cent production capacity.
“This is now the good time for us to look inwards into the utilisation of our local content and indigenous agricultural produce for bread production.
“This is to reduce cost of production, boost local content and make food available at affordable prices to the citizens.
“We can see that bread has become a stable food all over the world including Nigeria so by incorporating and substituting wheat flour with cassava flour, we can reduce the total dependence on wheat flour,” she said.
Ibidapo noted that promotion of cassava utilisation would help farmers, agro-processors as well as boost the nation’s GDP.
“The utilisation of cassava flour will help our farmers and also develop our agro-processing sector because there will be increase production of cassava flour.
“It will add value to cassava as a produce and at the same time it is going to be of economy benefit to the nation”, she said.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
