Food security: No concrete arrangement in Sokoto, kebbi, Zamfara

Over the years, concerns of people have been achieving healthy and sustainable food system in their nations.In Nigeria, the importation of some food items despite the huge amount being pumped into the agricultural sector has been a source of worry to many.Dr. Lawali Abubakar of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Usmanu Danfodiyo […]

Over the years, concerns of people have been achieving healthy and sustainable food system in their nations.
In Nigeria, the importation of some food items despite the huge amount being pumped into the agricultural sector has been a source of worry to many.
Dr. Lawali Abubakar of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto identified what he described as epileptic policy on seed production as a factor affecting food security in the country.
“The policy for seed production needs to be straightened out. The policy is epileptic, it is there on paper but it is not addressing the concerns of the local farmers. There are gaps. Even if the seeds are produced in the long term, people have to have access to these seeds not just through institutional means; all what is on paper should be practiced.
“In reality, funds are not being released for research, the funds are not adequate for research; the timely release of funds is another factor. You know agriculture, crop production is seasonal. If you give farmer money in August, you are already late. He should have the money at least by April to make sure everything is in order. There should be a good link between research and development. And just between research and production, our seed production needs to be straightened out,” he said.
But Sokoto State Commissioner for Agriculture Arzika Tureta maintained that a lot has been done towards ensuring food security in the state. He debunked the notion that there is high dependence on imported foods.
“Let me tell you, whether they import or not Sokoto State will survive. The people of Sokoto State will survive on what they produce not what is from other countries. Majority of the people in Sokoto State are dependent on what they produce. It’s not true that we still largely dependent on imported food, people are just saying it,” he said.
On grain reserve, the commissioner said, “We budgeted for the year 2013 almost N100.4 million for purchase of grains to be kept in our stores for emergency cases. We usually buy at the end of the rainy season when farmers have started harvesting and then we purchase as much as we can and we store for emergency and relief issues. We also sell at subsidized rate to the people of Sokoto.
“This is about the time we shall start thinking of buying against this season. When we have problems here and there, we give out some free, we sell some at subsidized rate. We normally distribute such grains from our reserve at the beginning of the rainy season so that farmers and others will make use of it to survive the rainy season.”
In Kebbi, the state government has rice reserve under the Sure-P programme and part of the grains has already been released to the people free of charge as intervention. Another consignment was also distributed free during the month of Ramadan (Muslim fasting).
The state Director, Produce and Pest Control of the state Ministry of Agriculture, Muhammad Lawal Argungu said, “As far as rice and onions are concerned, Kebbi State is a major exporter and not importer. Throughout the year, I assure you, there is no day and there is no market that trailer loads are not transported from Kebbi to places like Sokoto, Zamfara and up to Kano where they mill some of it.
“So, we are not importing, we are exporting for processing and part of it is sent back. But all these will soon come to an end because the state is trying to install different milling machines in strategic areas so that whatever we shall be exporting will be finished products,” he said.
Umar Hussaini Kalgo, Director Irrigation of the state Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that the state food reserve has 6,500 metric tons capacity but investigations by our reporter revealed that the four unit silos located at Bulasa are in comatose.
The federal government is also constructing 100,000 metric tons capacity silos in the state that is said to have been completed and is awaiting commissioning. The project which is part of the national food reserve strategy of the federal Ministry of Agriculture, is expected to provide opportunity for the preservation of additional food in the state.
But an agricultural expert in Kebbi State and chairman of the Zuru Emirate Agricultural Committee, Alhaji Samaila Ikoh, was of the view that there is no visible food security programme in the state.
He said ideally, food security programme is meant to provide food at affordable prices to the people, adding, “But, I am afraid the aim is not visible in Kebbi. There is also nothing like cash crops because even the food crops are more expensive than the cash crops. Food crops like corn, millet have gone as high as N120 and N140 in our markets while the so-called cash crops like groundnuts and cotton are hardly seen anywhere in the markets,” he stated.
In Zamfara, the state government said it is to adopt a buyback program so that whatever excess grains the farmers have, the government would buy and store it to make the state secured in terms of food. But that is still a policy.
The state commissioner for agriculture, Alhaji Malami Aliyu Yandoto explained that the program would serve two purposes which include market price stabilization and subsidizing the price to the farmers in the period of may be food scarcity in the markets.
He said the state is expecting bumper harvest in this year’s farming season and that the state government had supported the farmers through giving them fertilizer and other farming subsidies to boost food production.
According to him,  the silos constructed in the 14 local governments of the state would soon be put to use even though, those constructed by the federal government are yet to be handed over to the state for effective utilization.