Stakeholders Ask for Strategies to Check Skyrocketing Food Prices

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Stakeholders in the agricultural sector have asked the federal government to put in place strategies to ensure security across the country and to reduce cost of transportation in order for skyrocketing prices of food items to be brought under check and for the nation’s food security to be improved ensured.
The advice was given on Monday in Abuja at the 2024 Cadre Harmonise National Validation/Consolidation workshop organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security with the Technical Partner from Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Food and Nutrition Security Analysis CiLSS, AGRHYMET, World Food Programme (WFP).
Speaking at the workshop, the Representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Anthony Amu, while explaining that the purpose of the workshop is to take stock of happenings in the agricultural sector and come out with strategies to improve it, said the high prices of food is because many farmers cannot get to farms because of the insecurity added to the fact that the cost of getting farm produce to the market has increased with the removal of fuel subsidy and the subsequent hike in cost of transportation.
He noted that until decisions are taken to address these, the prices of food may relatively be out of reach.
Amu said the purpose of the workshop is to identify the situation of the farmers especially as it concerns the food insecurity and report back to the government.

Also speaking at the workshop, the representative of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Amos Chinyama, said the meeting was important as it would assist in formulating policies that should bring succour.

On the Cadre Harmonise National Validation/Consolidation Workshop, Chinyama said: “This is an important exercise which is coordinated by the cabinet of Nigeria which focuses on food security.”

He added that it has the government and parties involved in the agricultural sector come together to identify food insecure population, food insecure states that is important in terms of planning the intervention, noting that their response would be used to plan the needed intervention.

He said that FAO is willing to assist the country in bringing the needed assistance should the government ask for it from international non-governmental organisations and the United Nations.