Food production in Nigeria has been marred by several human and natural factors which in turn leads to food crisis among the country’s millions population, majority which are impoverished. To alleviate this situation, the CEO of Rice Afrika, Ibrahim Maigari, has proposed eight research-based techniques to boost food production in the country and combat the food Inflation crisis resulting from inadequate agricultural output. Measures such as facilitating farmers’ access to land preparation machinery, transitioning from grains to seeds, implementing stricter controls on agricultural chemicals, and distributing soil-specific and crop-specific fertilizers are among his recommendations.
He pointed out various incidents in recent years, such as severe floods, currency changes, increased Insecurity in food-producing areas, the COVID-19 lockdown, the Russian-Ukraine conflict and fuel subsidy removal, have had negative impacts on food production. Maigari said increasing food production is essential to address food inflation caused by these issues and the low Productivity of Nigerian farmers. However, the success of these strategies relies heavily on the active involvement of the government. Further elaborating on his suggestion, he emphasized the importance of providing access to equipment for land preparation as a critical strategy.
Provide small-scale farmers with access to modern equipment.
According to him, providing Small-Scale Farmers (SSF) in Nigeria with access to modern farming equipment would enable them to cultivate larger areas of land more efficiently. This could result in a significant increase in crop yields, up to 50%, while also conserving water and seeds. This is particularly necessary because small-scale farmers make up approximately 80% of food producers in Nigeria and stand to benefit greatly from these advancements in agricultural technology. The CEO of RiceAfrika further mentioned that encouraging Nigerian farmers to transition from planting grains to planting seeds would help increase production in the country.
Most Nigerian farmers opt to cultivate grains, leading to low productivity when compared to using seeds that are genetically developed for higher germination rates and increased overall output. In his third suggestion, Maigari recommends imposing more stringent controls on the usage of farming chemicals which are mostly fake and impeding farmers’ efficiency. Improving crop yields and farm efficiency can be achieved by verifying the authenticity and quality of agricultural chemicals. In addition, he suggested granting Nigerian farmers the opportunity to use fertilizers that are tailored to the specific needs of their soil and crops.
Nigerian farmers should embrace modern agronomy practices.
The CEO of Rice Afrika noted that the government’s standardized palliative measures have not been effective, while specialized fertilizers have proven to greatly improve agricultural output. In his fifth suggestion, Maigari proposed that Nigerian farmers should embrace modern agronomy practices instead of relying on outdated techniques. He advocated for the reintroduction of farm extension officers across the country to facilitate this shift and further boost production. He also proposed the idea of introducing mechanized harvesting to farmers as a way to enhance productivity significantly.
For example, he pointed out that manually harvesting one acre of rice with basic tools takes a team of 30 people a full day, while a compact combine harvester can finish the job in just half an hour. Furthermore, Maigari proposed that the government should facilitate Nigerian farmers’ access to markets. It was observed that the majority of farmers in the nation are currently working at a subsistence level, and opening up new markets could encourage them to grow different types of crops, ultimately increasing total food output. Maigari’s eighth suggestion was for the government to restore, renovate, and restructure irrigable lands across the country.
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Nigeria possesses 3.1 million hectares of land suitable for irrigation, yet only 70,000 hectares are currently being utilized for this purpose. By enhancing Irrigation infrastructure, it is possible to increase farming cycles from one to three each year, thereby boosting food production in the country. Maigari emphasized the importance of exploring the rehabilitation and restructuring of irrigable land in order to boost Agricultural Productivity in Nigeria. Shifting from a single-cycle to a three-cycle farming system is crucial for the country’s agricultural development.