Agriculture and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria (AAEUN) has called on the Federal Government to work towards fully harnessing the potential of the sector by assisting local farmers with inputs and funding so as to further grow the economy and create jobs.
Simon Anchaver, president of the union, made the call in an interview with the media in Lagos, at the weekend, saying the inability of the Federal Government to exploit the potential of the sector had raised fears of foreigners possibly taking over. “We now have foreign nationals going into direct farming in Nigeria in addition to importing agro-products into the country,” he said, describing this as a trend, which should not be allowed to continue, as local farmers must be encouraged and empowered to drive the growth of the sector.
Anchaver listed the challenges plaguing local farmers to include poor financing and non-payment of hazards allowances to agricultural workers. He argued that the only way for agriculture to generate desired revenue as obtained in the oil and gas sector was to introduce incentives to motivate and encourage farmers. “Farmers must have access to loans. Government policies for the sector should be translated into reality and not only on paper. Farmers want to feel the impact of government policies.
“If the government does not pay attention to issues facing Nigerian farmers, foreigners will take over the sector in no time,’’ he said.
He stressed the need for government to set up a monitoring body to ensure that loans approved for farmers were given to the farmers. According to Anchaver, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recognises agriculture as one of the hazardous jobs that should receive allowances from the government. He said that fertilisers should be provided all year round to do enable all-season cultivation and harvest.
