President Jonathan has revealed that Nigeria avoided famine in 2012 due to the steps taken by his administration to boost the agricultural sector of the country.
Speaking at the Launch of the Dry Season Farm Support Programme at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, President Jonathan said the floods that besieged the country in 2012, almost led to a severe famine and infact many global observers had thought Nigeria was on the verge of a food crisis.
His words: “In 2012, we witnessed a devastating flood, the worst in recent memory, which affected our farming communities across the country. Many predicted we would have a food crisis, some even said we would have famine. When I asked the Minister of Agriculture, he assured me that we would not face a food crisis.
“What many did not know was that the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) program had earlier reached over one million genuine farmers directly with high yielding seeds and fertilizers and a significant share of them had harvested their crops before the peak season of the floods.
“To further ensure there was no crisis, I directed the release of over 40,000 metric tons of food from the strategic grain reserves to reduce the impact of the shock on our people. The skeptics were proved wrong. Nigeria did not witness a food crisis and we did not witness a famine. To consolidate on our strategy, I also directed the Ministry of Agriculture to embark on the Flood Recovery Food Production Plan in the dry season to compensate for losses experienced by farmers.”
Speaking on the strides his administration is making in agriculture, President Jonathan said, “This administration will continue to expand the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) to reach many more millions of farmers. It is our hope that we would have reached 10 million farmers by the end of this year with improved seeds, fertilizers and other production inputs, including farm Machinery Hiring Centers.
“We are working hard to improve the access of farmers to markets. This administration has completed silos across the country with a total capacity of 1.3 million metric tons. These will be used to support private sector efforts to establish world-class agricultural commodity exchanges.
“Modern warehouses will be established in many parts of the country, where farmers will be able to safely store their produce and reduce post-harvest losses. Our airport cargo facilities will improve opportunities for farmers to grow fresh produce and supply local and international markets. Our Staple Crop Processing Zones, which are currently being established, will attract private sector food processors to rural areas to add value to all our agricultural produce, create jobs and revive our rural economies.”
Read the full text of the President’s address here.