Focus on improving local farm produce not banning imported alternatives

Like everything in Nigeria, in order to encourage local consumption we propose banning of imports. There are times when banning of imports of some items might be the answer but definitely not in this case of farm produce. At least not at this time. This banning thing is annoying me now........ let me calm down to explain.

The Lagos Economic Summit, Ehingbeti 2014, is going on now and one of the topics they are discussing is Agriculture. One of the presenters said that a bill is being sent to NASS that will force all Hotels and Restaurants in Nigeria to use only local farm produce.

Come on! really? I do not know how that came about and which research they are using to support this bill but me as a daily shopper of both local and foreign farm produce I do not support that bill at all.

Hotels and Restaurants would love to buy local, it is cheaper to buy local, that is if you can get quality farm produce. The questions is why don’t they? The answer is very simple, our farm produce are not up to  standard. Quality produce gives you quality food, simple..... *breathe*

The message I have been shouting about all this while.. ehn. Why should the Hotels lower their standards to accommodate mediocre and cheap practices in our farm and supply chain? We have no food standard and if we do, no one is enforcing them in the farms and market and the whole supply chain.

We keep giving the farmers fertilisers as if that is the only problem they have. How many of the farm lands are well irrigated to produce the highest quality yields. How many of the farmers have been trained on the quality of yields and how to better grow their crops. Who checks the quantity of fertiliser used and how it is used. What is the ratio of extension workers to farmers? How are these farm produce transported to the markets and which conditions are they presented in the market place? Many State Governments are still distributing hoes and cutlass as a democracy dividend... come on people! in 2014?

I buy fresh produce everyday at the office and I can tell you half of it is always rotten. The market is stinking, as in stiiiinking! The market is difficult to navigate and we cannot trace the source of what we are buying. It is what they tell us that we accept. The baskets are not durable, if you not careful when carrying it the contents will pour out. The way the traders display their "Fresh Farm Produce" in the market will irritate you. Adulteration is prevalent everywhere, Palm Oil, Flour, Crayfish name it. Abuja Yam is the in thing now so everyone claim they sell Abuja Yam, far from the truth. No traceability so what choice do you have?

Why o, why would we force hotels and restaurants to buy local produce if the quality available is low. They have an international franchise agreement and they have to follow that agreement. Our focus should be helping the farmers to improve their yield. We should focus on identifying the problems in the supply chain from farm to fork and sorting them out. Focus on why they are not buying local and provide the support needed to help local farmers and vendors meet up.

So many, too many programs focusing on increasing farmers, introducing youth to farming etc. I have no problems with youth farming, my problem is this; present farmers are suffering because half of their produce go to waste, because of low yield, because they have no storage facilities, lack of efficient distribution channels, inefficient irrigation system and so on. The fishermen are terrified of pirates and no storage facility for their fish, no modern tools to fish. The Abattoirs need major over hauling; I don't know why I have not changed to a Vegetarian after my visits there. Horrible scene. We are lucky we overcook and fry our meat, if we eat raw like other countries we would be dead ages ago.

Agriculture is more than farming, farming is just a little aspect of that. We cannot stress that enough. The earlier we get that the better for this sector.

Here are a few sectors I would like the authorities to look into, we need more people in these areas.

AgroMarketing, Management, Storage, Processing, Packaging, Research & Development, Quality control & Assurance, Bulk Packaging, Sorting & Grading, Land Preparation, Equipment lease and Sales, Pest& Weed Control, Health Inspectors, Post Harvest Handling, Irrigation Engineering, Transportation, Retailing, Extension Workers, Vet Doctors, Regulators, Fund Operators, Pension Planners, Farm Waste and recycling experts, Food safety & Nutrition professionals, Toxicology experts, Food engineering, Biotechnology, Policy advocates, Animal Husbandry, Aquatic Educationist, Marine Technologist for the Fishing Industry etc.

I can go on and on, but these are the main actors in the horticultural supply chain besides farmers. All these actors support the farmers and work behind the scenes. Without these actors all the money and noise we are making about agriculture would amount to nothing.

We need to build structures for farmers to survive and we need these structures to make farming profitable. We don’t have to ban imports of fresh farm produce, like we are banning import of fish (Help the local fishermen and provide them safety in our waters, provide modern fishing tools and storage equipments, give them all they need to compete not ban fish imports ), the countries that have got it right are the countries that have all the professions I listed above and more, with government policies and action to support them.

When they say agriculture is a huge employer of labour, this is what they meant and not just back breaking work under the sun. Developed countries have also moved on to mechanized farming and it is far beyond back breaking work under the sun. 

Enough of this banning business, we need to raise our standards to meet up not make companies drop their own standards to accommodate us. If we do that we will help the sector far more, we will create a lot of jobs and due to this other countries will want our farm produce and other products; which will in turn increase our exports. If all countries ban imports, how will export sector thrive, think about that.

Ok i'm not angry any more, I just had to pour all this out. :) Smiles *deep breath* ..... Please let me read your views, thank you...