By PATRICIA AMOGU

Vice President Kashim Shettima has pledged the Federal Government’s continued support for Nigerian farmers under the auspices of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), saying that when farmers thrive, the nation thrives.

Shettima gave the assurance at the closing of the three-day General Assembly of Farmers (GAF) meeting with the theme, “Empowering Farmers, Fostering Collaboration,” held in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the Vice President, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Dr Uju Rochas-Anwukah, said the Nutrition 774 Initiative places farmers at the centre of Nigeria’s fight against malnutrition.

She said agriculture was not just an economic policy but also a security, peace and nation-healing strategy, adding that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, agriculture occupied a central position in national recovery.

According to her, Nigeria cannot fix nutrition without fixing food systems, and food systems cannot be fixed without farmers, stressing that farmers must not be treated as an afterthought.

She said the Nutrition 774 Initiative aligns agriculture, health, education and livelihoods, noting that nutrition does not begin in hospitals but on farms.

Rochas-Anwukah added that the Office of the Vice President was ready to partner with AFAN to ensure farmers succeed, families prosper and the nation grows.

She also noted that the fundamentals of life, food, shelter and clothing, begin from the soil, adding that no nation industrialises without first securing its agricultural foundation.

Also speaking, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), said farmers faced significant security challenges but assured them of the government’s commitment to improving safety in farming communities.

Musa urged farmers to report security threats, stressing that protecting farmers was critical to national food production and food security.

Earlier, in his address, AFAN President, Dr Farouk Mudi, highlighted the impact of climate change, rising input costs and insecurity on agricultural productivity.

Mudi said delayed rainfall, flooding and high fertiliser prices were negatively affecting farming, adding that stronger policies and increased investments were required to secure the future of agriculture in Nigeria.

He said the country was witnessing erratic rainfall patterns and disappearing harmattan, noting that delayed rains and flash floods had destroyed over 500,000 hectares of rice and maize farms.

Mudi said the cost of fertiliser and agrochemicals had risen sharply, making farming increasingly unaffordable for many farmers.

He also described Nigeria’s livestock sector as being in crisis, despite the country’s huge livestock population, noting that insecurity and conflict had continued to undermine its potential.

According to him, AFAN lost over 10,000 lives and about N500 billion worth of property to farmer-herder clashes in the last 10 years, while more than three million cattle were lost to rustling and unplanned migration.

Mudi said the association strongly supported the National Livestock Transformation Plan to enable herders adopt modern ranching and allow farmers cultivate their land without fear.

He added that Nigeria spends billions of dollars annually on food imports such as wheat, sugar and fish, money which should benefit local farmers.

He noted that agriculture was once a core part of Nigeria’s educational system and rural economy, but declining emphasis on practical agriculture, insecurity and climate challenges had weakened local food production and discouraged youth participation in the sector. (NAN)

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