It has become necessary to make some statements for the final term of Governor Rochas Okorocha’s guidance.
Food is a primary human need that must be addressed, if food security in the state is to be addressed by governments with effect. Governments should encourage farmers with appropriate capital to continually increase food production in direct proportion to population growth. Federal government is aware of this and has provided capital which farmers can access for putting farmers in production and sustaining agricultural produce generators, so that human capital can address development problems and provide employment on an enduring basis for Imo citizens. Other states of the federation have been benefiting from these over the past four years. Imo State has not provided the matching funds to access these low interest funds because it has been addressing other needs not quite as important as food.
This is the time to provide counterpart funds for Imo farmers to access. The farmers need dedicated and intervention funds available in existing windows created by the federal government and other agencies for them to increase production.
Imo branch of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has gone into the field to organise over 30 commodity groups, each of which can assure food security; organise commodity exchanges in each of the 27 local government areas of the state and prevent post-harvest losses afflicting Imo farmers, and for generally creating employment and prosperity for all our people.
But capital for bringing all their efforts to fruition has been severely lacking. Farmers have had a long period of waiting for government to trigger off support to organised farming people in Imo with federal funds that have been created for shoring up national agricultural production. A number of states like Anambra have been benefiting from this window.
AFAN has created over 600 cooperative entities at various levels to improve security of loans from commercial banks. Bank of Agriculture and Bank of Industry, which have the responsibility to cater for farmers and agro-industrial enterprises. It is now vital for food security that cooperation must be built between AFAN and Imo government. A summit to examine this partnership is now vital. Government apparatus should now address food security or we are doomed to dependence on other states for our future food needs. Government has so far paid lip service to food production.
Imo has advantages which must be sustained. We have won leadership among farmers of Nigeria. Imo is deputy national president of AFAN. We have won national preference for cassava and palm oil production, but have done little to protect this preference. We now need support of government of Imo to create jobs in farming, assure food security for our people and raw materials for industry in Nigeria.
Farmers have prepared themselves for attracting and monitoring loans and advances to farmers and can effectively work with government to ensure that beneficiaries of loans are farmers with appropriate integrity to deliver on production. The governor should now address farming people with desired effect.
Farmers wish Governor Okorocha’s administration well.
• Rev. Iwu is first national deputy president, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
