Nigeria lost 54, 000 Hectares of Farmland to Pest, Disease in 2024, says Report

By victoria Malagu

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to increase Food Production to tackle Food Inflation and ensure Food and Nutrition Security in the Country.

Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, stated this at the 2024 Wet Season Agricultural Performance Survey Report Presentation on Friday in  Abuja.

The Report was provided by the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS)

He said that this was part of the Ministry’s Strategy to address the issue of Food Inflation in the Country.

”As part of the Strategy of the Ministry to tackle the Food Price Inflation, our pledge and promise to Nigerians is that we will ramp up Production back to back.

”This means as the Rainy Season is finishing, we are moving into the Dry Season and we are preparing,“ he said.

He said that the Government would maximise and deploy the God- given Natural Assets that the Country is blessed with to produce Food for Nigerians.

”We are striving for higher Productivity, and if we don’t know where problems are, how do we improve upon them? That explains why this Performance Survey is very significant and timely,” he said.

Abdullahi said that Mechanisation is one Agricultural Practice to scale up Food Production.

He saluted the Visionary Leadership of President Bola Tinubu for his Agricultural Mechanisation, adding that it  is the new deal and the way forward for Agriculture in Nigeria.

”We are going to continuously ensure that we push these Production boundaries and ensure that the Production is not just People in the Field, but Productivity in  terms of the Yield,“ he said.

Earlier, the Executive Director, NAERLS, Emmanuel Ikani, said that there was a general increase in the Cost of Production of Major Crops in Nigeria in 2024.

He said that 25 States procured and distributed limited accessible and relatively affordable Seeds.

Ikani said these include Maize, Rice, Cowpea, Soybean, Millet, Sorghum and Vegetable seeds.

He said that Pests and Diseases caused Crop losses of up to an average of 35 to 45 per cent in some Farms in Nigeria estimated at about 54, 000 Hectares of Land in 2024.

He said the Agricultural Performance Survey (APS) Field Work was conducted from September 8 to 15.

Ikani recommended in the Report that there was a need for the Government to develop a Long Term Strategy for Agricultural Mechanisation.

The Report also recommended the setup of an Agricultural Trust Fund for Farmers in Periods of Emergency. 

Credit NAN: Texts excluding Headline