The Federal Governments Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) has received support from President Muhammadu Buhari, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Arc. Sonny Echono, has said.
Echono, who spoke during a courtesy visit to the ministry by the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), explained that the president urged the ministry to set up four committees on areas that need improvement.
The committees include: committees on the resuscitation of cotton, textile and garments industry in Nigeria; operationalization of federal government storage facilities and revitalization of agricultural extension services in Nigeria and the establishment of grazing reserves and stock routes for farmers.
Echono, who was represented by the Director of Agriculture in the ministry, Mr. Damilola Eniayeju, added that minor changes would be introduced in areas they are needed by a new minister.
Echono said: He appreciates what we are doing in his statement. He even sets up four committees on areas which he feels we should come up with for improvement. These are cotton production, silos and grain storages, grazing reserves and stock routes and the areas of extension services supports.
These are areas which we believe we need to upscale and upgrade to help our farmers. We will wait until we have a new minister. If there are going to be policy change, it will not be that much. Because I believe that if you have arithmetic of one plus one, it has to be two.
If you are not doing the right thing, definitely there will be a lot of changes, but if you are doing the right thing and they can support the system in a way that will make food security available for all, that is the best way to go.
Earlier in his remarks, the President of AGRA, Dr. Agnes kalibata, stated that AGRA was formed with a vision of developing agricultural technologies in close communication with farmers.