Juliana Taiwo Inabuja
13 May 2008
Lagos — The Federal Govern-ment yesterday said it is targetting increasing the cassava production from its present 49 million to 100 million metric tonnes annually.
Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources , Sayyadi Abba Ruma said at the one-day inter-ministerial retreat,that the improved production would go a long way in guaranteeing food security for the nation.
He disclosed that the increased cassava production would also have multiplier effect on bread making as it would go a long way in helping to attain "a 10 per cent cassava flour inclusion in bread making." Ruma further disclosed that the government under the new policy programme of enhancing food security for the nation has also set out to meet annual rice demand of 4.64 million metric tonnes at 32 kilogrammes per person annually as recommended by Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).
He said the direction of government is to "attain self sufficiency in rice production by 2010." He also said his ministry has also set an ambitious 6.5 million metric tonnes of millet through improved farming inputs and irrigation with a local target of wheat put at three million metric tonnes to replace excessive dependence on importation.
Other areas where the government planned to shore-up productions include, sugar with a target of 192 metric tonnes by the end of 2008, using 20,000 hectares of land, tomato, 20 tonnes, cocoa 449,000 metric tonnes of production by 2012. Ruma listed the agricultural development challenges to include among others, inconsistent agricultural policies, dearth of reliable planning statistics, ageing and unorganised farmers, poor uptake of research results, seed stock-poor yield potential, rain-fed production, low irrigated land area, and agriculture land-no collateral value, uncertain soil fertility, fertilizer and agriculture chemicals-supply, and poor quality. Policy thrusts of the Yar'Adua's government in relation to boosting food sufficiency which include "achieving substantial import substitution, achieve sustainable food security, attains gainful employment and modernisation of agricultural production, storage, processing, and marketing."
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