An agriculture expert, Mr Ismail Olawale, has called on the Federal Government to expedite an emergency agro-Relief programme to cushion rise in food prices following the floods across the country.
Olawale, a fellow at the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
The expert said that the agro-produce and commodities are getting more expensive by the day as a result of effects of the flood.
He said that the setting up an Emergency Relief programme for agro-commodities would help ease price hike.
“The system of storage, preservation and movement of agro-produce is a big problem coupled with the flood that has ravaged most farmlands.
“In a situation like this, the government should call up a national emergency relief programme. It will not cost the government anything to achieve this.
“Within two days the government can converge the National Executive Council and do a proposal for the national emergency relief programme,’’ he said.
Olawale urged the government to import most of the agro-commodities that have been affected by the flood, especially rice.
“Repackage them and distribute them for sale in local markets at affordable prices.
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“This will help cushion the effects of increased prices of agro-produce and also stem down the threatening food insecurity looming,” the expert said.
Olawale also said the unavailability and non-functionality of Food Silos in the country has worsened the case of price hike of most food commodities.
He also said that independent agro-traders have taken advantage of the situation as they continuously hike food prices.
“There is a provision for National Silos in every state of the country to keep grains and other food commodities for emergencies like we are experiencing at the moment due to the floods.
“However in our recently concluded Agriculture Performance survey we conducted, there was no functioning government silo in Edo state where I was posted.
“And that is how you also find it in several states where we conducted the survey.
“And in the states where they have silos, they are not functional, that is to say food commodities are not stored in them,’’ he said.
The expert said that the price of rice has increased and other agro-commodities at the moment because the government has left everything in the hands of the private sector.
“Independent agro-traders who buy and stock agro-commodities in bulk now determine how much they are sold for,” Olawale said.
