The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, says the Federal Government has immediate and short-term plans for developing a standard framework and guide for ease of doing agribusiness.
Kyari disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening of the annual agricultural show organized by the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN).
The theme of the show being held in Nasarawa State is “Towards the Realization of the Presidential Declaration of Emergency on Food Security.’’
The minister said that organizing an agricultural show was a significant undertaking, and an incredible amount of hard work was necessary to create such unique events and ensure they were successful.
Kyari said that the show served as high-level platforms for business-to-business linkage, technology transfer, knowledge exchange, public-private collaboration, and policy discourse among participants drawn from all walks of life.
“Over time, agricultural shows have become veritable tools for showcasing the latest developments within the agricultural sector.
“It brings people together to network, to do business, and to give the public a glimpse into farming life.
“It also provides a hub for the farming and rural communities to meet, exchange ideas, and, above all, have a few days away from the farms,’’ the minister said.
In his address, the National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kabiru Ibrahim, said that to scale up food security, there was a need to incentivize smallholder farmers (SHFs).
He reiterated the need to provide direct subsidies for seeds and all inputs by all tiers of government.
Ibrahim also called for the continuous provision of mechanization through the provision of light agricultural farm machinery before making heavy-duty tractors and combine harvesters.
The Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, had earlier called on stakeholders to invest massively in agriculture to transform Nigeria into a virile country for food security and value chain addition.
