The Federal Government has been urged to always consider the Agric Sector while putting in place Economic Policies designed to help in moving the nations’ Economy to the next level.
Agri-Business Expert, African Farmer Mogaji, made this call while speaking on the TVC News Breakfast Show on Tuesday Morning.
African Farmer Mogaji said the need to put the Agric sector into consideration while putting in place policies like the Naira Redesign and Currency Swap Policy is very important with the role cash transactions play in the Agric sector with farmers relying on cash to sell off their products.
He said the Central Bank of Nigeria should also have considered what it had put in place in the sector in terms of investment in the Anchor Borrowers scheme and Others which have all aided food production in the last few years.
He also said the cash crunch has led to farmers being unable to unload products into the market due to the absence of cash to ensure they are sold leading to inflation in the prices of fruits like Water Melon and also loss of revenue through waste.
Labour loss according to him is also a major problem with farm hands requiring cash payment to be able to feed themselves and their families.
African Farmer Mogaji said the Naira Redesign and Currency Swap leading to cash scarcity has taken the Agric Sector three steps backward from where the Central Bank started.
He said having survived the floods last year and Other challenges, the cash scarcity has made the situation far worse than it was.
He predicted a far gloomy outlook for the nation going forward especially with farming season yet to start in most cases due to the fear of what the Federal Government will do nest.
He sad the decision will soon start having the undesirable effect of scarcity and food price inflation.
African Farmer Mogaji said the break in supply chain caused by the floods has been left unbridged by farmers across some parts of the south primarily due to non availability of cash to pay tractor operators to clear the land and begin production.
He added that it will take between 3 to 4 months to see the impact of the extension of the Policy on Agriculture.
On what needs to be done to ensure food security especially for the next administration, he called for collaboration with the international community and not competition while the country can now develop its in house capacity to develop further.
He urged the Federal Government to look at how it can collaborate with the developed world not by banning products but through import substitution.
He disclosed that the basis for intervention by international development institutions have always been faulty with another faulty one still on the table for
