Food Security: Terror Attacks Threaten Maize Production, Farmers Warn
Toscad News One of the founding fathers of Maize Association of Nigeria, MAAN, Prof Dele Fakorede, said the recent train and airport attacks in Kaduna State send wrong signal to maize farmers.
Speaking to newsmen Fakorede pointed that Kaduna State is the highest producer of the commodity in the country, which he described the attacks as terrible and scary.He said government needs to move fast to address the situation, and warned that if nothing is done drastic there will be serious hunger in the country, because everybody now consumes maize.
He said: “The train and airport attacks are terrible situations and scary to our members. With the security situation most farmers are scared to go to their farms because if anything affects the security of the farmers the of maize will go up because we cannot produce more and the little we produce will go up.
farms because if anything affects the security of farmers the prices of maize will go up because we cannot produce more and the little we produce will go up.“The highest production of maize comes from Kaduna State because it is in the best zone for maize production in Nigeria, which is the Guinea Savannah, and this train attacks, killings in villages happening there, I do not know what will be the impact?
“It is really unfortunate for Nigeria, and anything involving transportation of commodities will be affected with the current situation.”
He further stated that, “Production of maize is in a dicey situation, and we see it as difficult time for the maize value chain.
“In Ekiti, where I am, the prices are impossible and anything that comes from maize now is hard to buy.”
He also stated that the association cannot do anything on security, but can write to the government about it.
“As an association we cannot handle security because our interest is in maize including researchers and extension workers as we are all excited that we are on maize.
“We can meet and send a special message to the President of Nigeria and Senate to do something about the situation, which they may or not listen to us, and even though they do, it may not be effective.
“We have reached past presidents of this country like late President Musa Yar’ Adua, on the issue of maize importation, which we wrote to him and he listened to us.”
Speaking on Nigerians resorting to importation of maize if local farmers cannot meet demands due to the precarious insecurity situation, he (Faokrede) argued that importation may not be the alternative, because the association do not encourage it.
He added that those who may import need to transport the commodity but would find it difficult to get it across to the final consumer, because they could be attacked on the roads as well, and that it is left for the Buhari-led administration to do the needful to safeguard food security which is paramount.
Edited by Wendy Nweke
vanguardngr.com
About The Author
