Boosting Agriculture For Economic Diversification

Agriculture is the art or science of preparing, cultivating the ground and planting of crops, harvesting of crops, rearing, and management of livestock for human consumption.

Thus, it is the science or practice of farming varieties of food crops necessary for human consumption.

Agriculture is crucial to any nation’s development, as it feeds the world and boosts economic development.

Agriculture helps in creating a more sustainable and equitable economic system as it provides large-scale employment opportunities, especially for rural dwellers.

Again, agriculture protects foreign reserves, helps to avoid economic crises, and improves the income and food security of eighty percent of the world’s population.

There is no doubt that one of the central goals of every developing country is to reach high-income status by generating foreign currency through its products.

Agriculture no doubt is one of the major foreign exchange earners in developing countries and it should be one of the major priorities in the agenda of government at all levels. Indeed, farmers who engage in agriculture are the founders of civilization.

The government should encourage farmers with improved agricultural inputs including tractors, fertilizers, and free-interest loans. It is clear that without food, there will be no life as all necessities of life such as air, food, water, shelter, and clothing come directly or indirectly from agriculture.

There is therefore the need for all and sundry to develop interest in farming for an increase in food production.

New agricultural methods should also be the order of the day to draw the attention of youths to agriculture, thus, mechanized farming should be introduced to all farmers by the government at all levels.

One area of agriculture that needs resuscitation is palm produce. This area of agriculture sustained the nation’s economy before independence.

Palm tree is a very beneficial if not the most beneficial tree to humanity.

All its parts contribute to economic growth. For instance, palm wine is tapped from palm trees and the contribution of fresh palm wine to health is enormous.

Again, palm fruits can be processed to get palm oil.

The palm kernels are used to produce various commodities as body creams and soaps, the palm leaves are also used in feeding animals.

It can also be used in constructing thatched houses, livestock buildings, and brooms among others. Not only these, the fruits from the palm bunches when bunt, are used for making local soap and insecticides used for the prevention of pests that attack farm crops.

Furthermore, the fiber from palm fronds is used for making local baskets.

Considering all the economic importance, the government should show greater commitment towards reviving the oil palm industries.

Many administrations in Nigeria have initiated one agricultural programme or the other all geared towards increasing food production. The government should be serious about such programmes and ensure that money meant for the purpose is judiciously used. Unfortunately, most times farmers complain about the high cost of fertilizers and the onus is on the Government to subsidize this as a way of making food accessible to Nigerians.

Written By Stella Igbokwe, Enugu National Station