The Kaduna State chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) on Monday applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the increased allocation to agriculture in the 2018 budget proposal.
The state AFAN Chairman, Alhaji Nuhu Aminu, conveyed the commendation in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria.
“As a farmers’ association, we ought to appreciate President Buhari for increasing budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector in 2018; the figure is more than what was allocated to the sector this year.
“However, we plead with the Buhari-administration to sustain its efforts to ensure the country’s food security and accomplish its economic diversification derive.
“If the government really wants to diversify the economy; then, there is every need to prioritise agriculture in terms of increased funding,’’ he said.
He said that adequate allocation of resources to the sector would facilitate plans to diversify the national economy via agriculture.
NAN recalls that the Federal Government allocated N118.98 billion to agriculture in the proposed 2018 budget, as against the N92 billion it allocated to the sector in 2017.
Aminu said: “This indicates an increase of about N26.98 billion; this is of course commendable and we pray for consistent increase annually.
“We hope all the necessary farm inputs will be supplied to farmers before the onset of the next rainy season to further boost the farmers’ morale.’’
The AFAN chairman, however, urged the government to develop the solid minerals and tourism sectors so as to boost its efforts to diversify the country’s economy.
“Almost all the states of the federation have one mineral resource or the other in commercial quantities that have yet to be exploited.
“In view of this, we want to appeal to the government to collaborate with foreign firms in its plans to exploit these minerals to facilitate national development,’’ he said.