Stakeholders in the agricultural space have lauded the move by President Bola Tinubu to reintroduce commodity board to drive food prices in the country.
They said this in separate interviews in Lagos, while reacting to the President Tinubu’s inauguration speech.
They said that the reintroduction of commodity board if implemented would boost food security.
Prof. Ayoola Olalusi, Federal University of Technology, Akure, said that the reintroduction of the commodity board would address high cost of food, drive uniform market price as well as control market price.
Olalusi said the commodity board was stopped by the former military Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s regime in the 1990s because of the Structural Adjustment Programme.
“The policy was part of the IMF strategy to allow market forces to determine the prices of products.
“Looking at our situation in Nigeria and other developed countries, the strategy may not necessarily be very effective.
“Even in China, there’s a price control to manipulate the price to favour the economy and to favour the farmers and the producers.
“In China, they fix their exchange rates, by now the value of the Chinese Yen should be stronger than American dollar but they did not allow that because if they allow that, they will discover that the industry will move out of China to America.
“So, to make their environment favourable, they perpetually keep the price of dollar to Yen between six Yen to a dollar to favour the economy,” he said.
He said that commodity board control the price and make sure they buy products at very good price from farmers and store them in their storage facility.
“You find out that when the crops are coming out, the people will buy at very cheap because the farmers are very scared that there may be spoilage so they sell at very cheap price and this is very unfavourable to the farmers.
“But if there is market commodity board, they will buy, process and keep for when there will be value for farmers, that is the advantage.
“In Nigeria, we are looking for alternative to petroleum, and one of the low hanging foot to a good government is agriculture and fortunately, large percentage of our people are farmers,” he said.
Olalusi said that the new government was on the right direction to focus on agriculture and develop it to an exportable level to boost export of agricultural products.
“I am glad that the President mentioned the livestock, I have said it that we need to increase our grazing reserves so that we will reduce farmers/ herders clashes.
“The president mentioned it specifically that he’s going to apply modern technology to agriculture, particularly the animal production.
“We have an alternative and that is the solution to this current herdsmen/farmers clashes, modern technology,’ he said.
He, however, said that the inauguration speech was too direct noting that the president should be diplomatic in his affairs.
“I feel the inaugural speech is too direct, he did not speak like a politician; politician during inaugural speech will evaluate and steer peoples’ expectations.
“The new president did not do that, you can imagine the president starting and telling you that there will be no subsidy.
“A diplomatic government will rather keep quite and the people will just see that the fuel prices have increased and he will tell you that there is no provision for that in the budget.
“I see that Tinubu is too direct, he has set his mind on what he want to do, he is not diplomatic and not gearing so many expectations.
“I can tell you by tomorrow, fuel stations will close down because of the proclamation, it is too direct,” he said.
Mr Africanfarmer Mogaji, Former Chairman, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Agric and Agro-Allied Group, commended the president for given priority to agriculture and food security.
Mogaji described the commodity board as lobbyist, who lobby for farmer and stands as intermediary for government and the agric sector to create a balance.
“I can say for the first time since 1999, return to civilian rule, we are having an inaugural speech that captures a palliate and captures the major challenges the country has.
“Beyond the board of commodity, the president talked about storage, trading, credit and facilitating credit.
“All other inaugural speech have focus on intervention. He spoke about distribution and the value chain of making food readily available and at affordable prices.
“The president at the beginning of his speech used the word food security, and for the first time it looks like we have a president that have put together experts to get the conversation well.
“I’m beginning to be interested in the new government and the administration because I know that being a turnaround manager, he has captured the basic things needed we just need action to marry the talk,” he said.
Mogaji noted that the commodity board was removed by past governments out of ignorance and because many people did not know the function and importance of the board.
“Commodity board are lobbyist, they lobby for farmer and stands as intermediary for government and the agric sector to create a balance.
“The commodity board are great, they are fantastic, however, a world of caution. Nigeria has evolved, it has a lot of selfish people and if we are not careful, we will have selfish people in the board.
“They will be buying and reselling through their registered companies. They will be leveraging on it by buying and reselling to enrich themselves and form a cabal.
“If we are going to have an effective commodity board, they must consist of selfless people, people who have track record. Anything outside of that, will be a mess,” Mogaji said.
He urged the president to ensure implementation of its policies to distinguish itself from other administration.
Prof. Olufemi Ajayi of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, urged the president to improve security in and around farmlands across the country to attract new investors into the sector.
“If the security of lives and property is assured, people will hit the ground running and return to the farms.
“The situation in our farms now is not safe, many have abandoned their farms due to lack of safety.
“The president should ensure security is guaranteed in the farm and by the time the land is secured, investors will come.
“The new president should establish and strengthen agricultural extension services because that is the link between the gown, industry and the producers.
“I want the president to work with real practising farmers and not political on all programmes and projects his administration will put together for farmers.
“Avoid political farmers by al means, work alone with identified practicing farmers who will have the interest of the country on food security,” Ajayi said.
He, however, called for the reestablishment of the agric input supply unit in the Ministry of Agriculture to facilitate availability of machineries at affordable prices to farmers.
“The president should reintroduce the commodity board so that they can buy farm produce from farmers during glut and prevent farmers from operating at a loss.
“Farmers are the richest in other parts of the world,” he said.
Dr Femi Oke, Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State Chapter and South-West Zone, said the reintroduction of commodity board was long overdue.
Oke said that commodity board play a vital role in price control, market regulation and availability of food from farm to table.
“It is a thing of joy to we farmers and what we have been expecting that commodity board be brought back.
“The board was no longer functioning because of inconsistent government policy and lack of support.
“We thank God that the board is being revived now.
“We are also clamouring that the office of the Special Adviser to the President be created to work directly with the president to address food security in the country.
“We are glad that he has started well.
“We have given the president the blue print of what we required in the agric space during the campaign process and we believe he will act on it,” Oke said.
