NATIONAL President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi has charged Deputy Speaker Rt Honorable Benjamin Kalu not to be distracted by sponsored columnists and false analysts in the discharge of his duties to Nigerians.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary Ibrahim Garba to newsmen, Dr Mudi emphasize the need for members of the National Assembly to position agriculture and agribusiness at the heart of their legislation especially now that Deputy Speaker was honored as Legislative Farmers Father recently at it’s just concluded General Assembly of Farmers Congress meeting held recently in Abuja.
He charged Ben Kalu to embrace the challenges of food security with all seriousness especially now that commodity prizes crashed owing to climate change and market forces of demand and supply especially farm inputs that created the gaps in the value chain.
AFAN according to Mudi, “is open to dialogue with all critical stakeholders in finding ways of taking pressure off the federal government to provide adequate and timely information to it’s numerous members across the nation on policy changes leveraging on its membership spread”.
” Dr Mudi appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take more decisive steps in agriculture by subsidizing farm inputs, tractor and equipments to help balance on losses which rose to about 85 percent out of over 50 million tons of post harvest losses recorded during the last farming season.
He maintained that import waivers and cheaper foreign produce trigger price slash which stall new investments and weaken rural development especially now that President Tinubu is focused on investments in agriculture, livestock and poultry by budgeting trillions for the various ministries and parastatals in the new budget cycle”.
According to Mudi, “after years of multiple tariffs imposed by the second and third tier of government on haulage, farmers are held back on investments in farming due to uncertainty in the market occasioned by weak Naira and unfair prizing”.
However, Mudi noted that with the conferment of a prestigious award on Deputy Speaker as Legislative Farmers Father, it is a testimony to his vision, resilience, foresight and courage exhibited recently through the passage of the newly amended Electoral Act, a feat he says demonstrates courage and resilience during moments of uncertainty.
Dr Mudi charged members of AFAN to take advantage of the office of the Deputy Speaker to bring forward ideas that could transform the nation beyond mere boardroom politics especially now that ” we have a reliable partner in the national assembly noting that partnership with the National Assembly would reposition agriculture as top revenue earner next to oil and gas under this administration.
