Despite
the gains recorded under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) initiated
by the minister of agriculture and rural development, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina,
there is an indication that the prices of foodstuff have increased in the last
four years.
Surveys
carried out by LEADERSHIP in Utako, Dei Dei, Wuse and Garki markets revealed
that the price of foodstuff increased by 20% in 2015 up from 2012. This is even
as traders pleaded with the federal government, through the Ministry of
Agriculture, to hasten their promise of guaranteeing food sufficiency in
Nigeria.
A
trader who identified herself as Madam Queen Imeh sells rice at Utako market.
Giving a breakdown on the prices of the food items, she said, "A big bag
of Mama Gold rice, Caprice and Stallion sold for N9000, N9000 and N8, 500 in
2012 but in 2015, they sell for N10, 500, N9, 800 and N9, 500 respectively.
"For
small bags of Stallion Rice, Mama Gold and Caprice, they sold for N4500, N4700 and
N4700 in 2012 while in 2015, the same rice sells for N5200, N6000 and N5200
respectively."
She
encouraged the Ministry of Agriculture to provide incentives to farmers, saying
that it was the alternative to food security in the country.
Another
trader at Garki market, Mr Henry Igwe, who sells beans and garri, linked the
increase in the prices of foodstuff to the inability of youths to embrace full
scale agriculture, and poor incentives to farmers.
On the
prices of beans, he said, "In 2012, a big bag of brown beans and big bag
of white beans sold for N15, 500 and N12, 500; the same bag sells for N28, 000
and N24, 000 in 2015."
He said
that a mudu (a measure the value of eight milk tins)) of brown beans and white
beans sold for N230 and N160 in 2012 while the same sells for N350 and N320
this year. Also, a bag of yellow garri and white garri sold for N6700 and N6500
in 2012 while the same quantity sells for N8500 and N8200 this year.
Continuing, he said that a mudu of yellow and white garri sold for N130 and
N100 in 2012 while the same quantity sells for N200 and N170 in 2015.
A
survey of the prices of food items at the Dei-Dei area of Abuja showed that
Caprice brand of the commodity is now selling for N9,000 per 50kg bag, while
the Mama Gold variety is N12,000.
A rice
seller who identified herself as Mrs Matiluko, said before the 2012 flood, the
50kg bag of Caprice brand of rice sold for between N6,800 and N7,000 while Mama
Gold and Royal Umbrella were N9,000.
However,
a tomato seller, Alhaji Bala, noted that the prices are affected by seasons -
whether planting or harvesting. He said that this is still tomato season so it
is still cheap, adding that by May or June when it is out of season, a basket
could go as high as N8,000 to N10,000.
On the
other hand, at the Wuse Market, prices of food stuff did not record noticeable
increase.
A rice
seller at the popular Wuse market who gave her name as Mrs Iyabo Ojo, lamented
that even at the low prices, sales are very poor.
She
said: "The price of rice and beans are the same - it has not increased;
even at that, there are no customers. People don't have money, the country is
hard.
"Most
times, we come to the market we hardly record good sales. I am just doing the
best I can to support my family, but it is not easy," she said.
Also
speaking to LEADERSHIP, a yam seller who identified himself as Mallam Sani,
explained that the price of yam is usually determined by the season.
He
said, "When yam is in season, a sizeable tuber goes for N250 to N300. But
when it's off season, that same size can sell for N400 to N500."
However,
the second Female Food hero and woman farmer from Zangon Kataf Local Government
Area of Kaduna State, Mrs Monica Maigari, commended the efforts of the federal
government in the establishment of the ATA/Growth Enhancement Support (GES),
but says the programme has been compromised.
"In
the first two years of the GES distribution, we were able to get our
allocations, but in 2014 we had difficulties in our localities; where we used
to go to get our fertilisers were no more there. They said that they shared it
to another area. I went with my card but they checked it and said my name was
not there. I was alarmed because I had collected every year in the same
place," Maigari said.
"They
asked me to travel to another community that would have cost more than N500 at
the time. I did not go because I hadn't the money. I forfeited it and after a
while I returned to the same people who had told me they could not see my name
on the list but they had added the price and asked me how many bags I needed.
They did not even request my card; all they were concerned about was for me to
pay the additional charges to get the fertiliser and seeds."
According
to Maigari, previously, they paid N3000 for a bag of fertiliser, but with the
hike they were asked to pay N7000 for two bags.
"In
fact, in my presence another man came and asked for 14 bags and he was given.
So we are facing a lot of problems with accessing fertilisers and need the
intervention of government because we, rural women farmers, experience a lot of
challenges in our farming activities," she said.
The
state director for Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), Katsina, Dr Abdu
Aminu Omar, said the bureaucracy in government activities was becoming a big
challenge to the success of the ATA/GES.
He
lamented that despite efforts by the minister of agriculture and rural
development, Dr Akinwumi Adeshina, to eliminate corruption in the seed and
fertiliser sector, the new system is being threatened by the bureaucracy which
causes delayed delivery of inputs.
Speaking
in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP recently, the director listed several
challenges to the success of the ATA/ GES to include the late release of inputs
to farmers, low level of literacy, and loss of cell phones as well as
fraudulent middlemen who pay tokens to farmers to buy off their produce.
"The
number one enemy militating against the success of the scheme is timing as
inputs that are supposed to get to farmers in February/March, but they may not
arrive till June/July, long after farmers may have used their meagre resources
to seek alternative inputs," he said.
Speaking
on the ATA, he said, "The main trust of the ATA is the GES,and under the
scheme, instead of government subsidising seeds, which do not get to the
farmers as a result of the deep rooted corruption in the system, the government
removed the subsidy and created the Enhancement Support aimed at ensuring that
real farmers have access to the subsidised inputs."
He
maintained that using improved seeds is the backbone of any industrial
revolution, and that if the federal government provides 1000 bags of
fertilisers without the use of improved seeds, it will be a total waste.
According
to him, the minister foresaw that and re-invigorated the National Seed Council,
which has also led to the multiplication of seed producers from two to 88 seed
companies in 2014.
For his
part, commissioner of agriculture in Kwara State, Hon. Anthony A Towoju,
commended the efforts of the federal government in the scheme but called for
greater recognition of states. "The GES is a good programme that will
really improve agriculture and food production," he said.
"In
Kwara State, we applaud the programme but we know that there are some grey
areas that are not good in implementation; there is no full participation by
states, and states have not been given their due recognition. Apart from FCT,
every farmer and land in states belongs to the state, so it is our own joint
venture."
Also
speaking with LEADERSHIP, a cotton farmer Mallam Rabiu Sulaiman said that
"any government that will not continue with the ATA, we are not with that
government.
"This
is the first time farmers are getting the government subsidised seeds and
fertilisers, and all can see the transformation in the agricultural sector. So
it will be a good thing if the federal government ensures the scheme is given
legal backing to ensure continuity of the GES in the event of a change in
government because, for us, any government that will not continue with the ATA,
we will not vote," Rabiu said.
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