The Senate has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the agricultural sector receives the necessary policy support to drive economic prosperity and achieve food security in the country.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated this during a one-day public hearing on three bills: the Cassava Flour Mandatory Inclusion in Flour Production Bill, the National Food Reserves Agency Bill, and the Rice Development Council of Nigeria Bill.
Represented by Senator Tahir Monguno, the Senate President said the bills are aimed at boosting agricultural production and supporting sustainable development across the country.
He said the 10th Senate is deeply committed in ensuring food security, jobs creation and invite producers, milers and bakers to use the opportunity to produce more and ensure food security in the country.
Earlier the Chairman of the Committee on Agricultural Production Services and Rural Development, Senator Salihu Mustapha said the bills are meant to blend the abundance of Cassava to create job and improve the capacity of small farmers.
He further said, this it will help in diversifying the economic activities to create sustainable market for Cassava Flour in the country and price stability on rice as a stable food among Nigerians.
In his submission, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Production, Abubakar Kyari said the Cassava Flour Production bill will add value chain in our economic activities.
“Let me speak on the Cassava bill itself, I think that is the most popular bill now, in terms of value addition of crops it has the highest production capacity that is why President Bola Ahmad Tinubu envisage to make more than fifty million tones of Cassava production every year.”
The Minister assured to continue discussing on issues that will give the local farmers a great opportunity to increase productivity and ensure food security in Nigeria.
Some stakeholders have also supported the bills but urged for more opportunities for women inclusion into agricultural productivity as explained by Hajiya Maryam Lawan from Women Farmers Association of Nigeria WOFAN.
The National President of Cassava Growers Association of Nigeria Mustapha Othman Bakano said the bill when passed in to law will help members to create job opportunities for millions of Nigerians across all the seven hundred and seventy local Government Areas in Nigeria.
He said currently the Association secured some hectares of land in all the local Government areas purposely for the production of Cassava in every cranny of this country to reduce dependency on the importation of wheat for Flour Production.
Also the National President of Onion Farmers Association of Nigeria Aliyu Mustapha urged the speedy passage of the bill for the onion farmers to use the opportunity and improve production and storage of their commodities as currently having adverse effect because of the nature of their product.
The committee assured all stakeholders proper utilization of their inputs on the bills for the next legislative action.
Cov/ Bashir M
