In a bid to tackle food price inflation, Federal Government has reviewed the annual Agricultural Performance Survey Report to assess the performance of the agricultural sector during the wet season and forecast the likely production outputs for the year, identify constraints to increase agricultural productivity, amongst others.
Speaking during the presentation of the 2024 Agricultural Performance Survey report by the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, NAERLS, in Abuja recently, the Hon Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abdullahi Sabi Aliyu, CON, pointed out the core mandate of NAERLS to include; advance the frontiers of Agriculture Extension Research and Services, conduct agriculture performance assessment and provide feedback, build capacity of skilled actors for effective extension amongst others.
He recalled that the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Project (NAGS-AP) provided a platform for training the trainers programme for the extension agents across the wheat producing states, amongst others.
He noted that NAERLS objective was to plan and coordinate the Research Extension farmers Input Linking System, REFUSE, adding that the activities were designed to ensure that all the prototypes were encamped.
The Minister pointed out that “if we are to focus on mechanization under we are supposed to create that platform”.
Based on that, the Minister charged NAERLs to create a platform that would bring about all mechanization tools that we have, identify the right industries, and bring up a round table forum with all stakeholders involved, under the direction of the Ministry to take the recommendation further.
The Minister also stressed on the need to take the survey further to dry season to tackle food price inflation, noting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised that no one goes to bed hungry and the Ministry is poised to ramp up production back to back.
He assured Nigerians that preparation in that regard was at advance stage as farmers had started land preparation in readiness for the dry season farming.
Abdullahi commended the NAERLS team and all the various actors in the field pointing out that “the report as presented is not perfect but because you have shown us areas we have issues to do and if you don’t know where problems are, how do you improve on them, that is why this performance survey is very significant and has been given high level attention as we have done today. That is all the Renewed Hope Agenda is all about, putting in the front burner, critical issues that are important to Nigerians and the argument about the youths being lazy has been debunked”.
“We have seen it over the years, we had youths that have organized conferences to showcase agriculture, they have shown us the way forward and what they want, more or less validating some of those thoughts in your submission. One of which is to improve on Mechanization”, the Minister added.
Abdullahi, commended the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who said “Agriculture Mechanization was a new deal and way forward for Nigeria and to do that we have seen the emergence, of the Greener Hope, Nigeria Belarus Agriculture Mechanization and the John Deere Memorandum of Understanding, all designed to bring in tractors of various specifications, from low impact to heavy duty including planters, harvesters amongst others”.
In his remarks, the Executive Director NAERLS, Prof. Emmanuel Ikani highlighted the 2024 Wet Season Agricultural Performance Executive Summary.
He noted that the Agricultural Performance Survey (APS) was one of the key mandates of the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, NAERLS, adding that the tools for the survey are reviewed each year, to improve data, analysis and reports.
Prof Ikani pointed out that as part of the review, stakeholders on Agricultural data generation and dissemination consisting of Federal, States, National and International Governmental, non-Governmental organizations and Commodity-based Associations validate the survey tools for inclusiveness of issues in agricultural development across the sector and related sectors.
He noted that the 2024 Wet season agricultural performance survey was conducted from the 8-15th of September, 2024 by NAERLS in collaboration with relevant agencies and the results of the APS were usually presented to the public during World Food Day celebration, noting that the findings in the report would assist the government in assessing the Agricultural sector performance as well as providing policy direction in achieving the desired food security drive of the country.
Highlight of the event, was the handover of the report by the Executive Director NAERLS to the Hon. Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, CON.
In attendance were the Manager, Central Delivery Coordinating Unit, Bashirat Quadri, representatives from Extension Training and Outreach, Zaria, Directors of the Ministry amongst others.
Eremah Anthonia (Mrs.)
Chief Information Officer
For: Director Information
