Some farmers have attributed the slight drop in the non-oil sector of the economy, particularly in agriculture, to farmers-herdsmen clashes across the country.
They reacted to the 2018 first quarter Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report released by the the National Bureau of Statistics on May 21, which stated that non-oil sector contributed about 90.4 per cent to the nation’s GDP.
Some of the farmers told News Agency of Nigeria in separate interviews in Abuja on Tuesday that poor market price, poor access to credit and inputs at the appropriate time were responsible for the drop.
Dr Tunde Arosanyin, the National Coordinator, Zero Hunger Farmers Association of Nigeria, said that most citizens went into farming in 2017 as a result of the call by President Muhammadu Buhari encountered various challenges.
Arosanyin, also the National Technical Adviser, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, called for an increase in agriculture budget to between 10 and 12 per cent to sustain the growth in the sector.
He said: “Most farmers went into farming last year with the call of the President to reduce hunger but the market offers this year is not so encouraging and some of them stopped commercial production.
“A tonne of cassava tubers, which usually sold for between N28, 000 and N30, 000 is now about N10, 000.
“Government should have a benchmark for all these commodities to ensure that even if the farmer cannot get the appropriate price, the government will be there to cushion the loss to keep encouraging production.”
Arosanyin said most farmers that went into farming last year recorded some losses as a result of the farmers-herders crisis across the country.
Daniel Okafor, the Vice President, Root and Tubers, AFAN, told NAN that for the country to sustain growth in the agriculture sector, farmers must be carried along while formulating government policies.
Okafor said: “The NBS should work with farmers to get actual data.
“Farmers are not getting inputs at the right time, if they do, agricultural production will increase and the economy will thrive.
“Small scale farmers don’t also get credit facilities of zero per cent. It is only big time farmers that get loan.
“If we want our economy to grow, we must work hard and make sure that everybody is carried along.’’
Nkiruka Nnaemego, the Chief Executive Officer, Fresh and Young Brains Development Initiative, said the government should create an enabling environment to encourage private investment in the agriculture sector.
Nnaemego said that encouraging mechanisation services and access to land would assist in encouraging youths to go into agriculture.
Noble Adaelu, the National President, Concerned Youths Empowerment Association of Nigeria, called for a holistic approach to tackle challenges in the agriculture sector.
NAN recalls that the NBS report showed that the 90.4 per cent figure was lower than 91.5 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2017 and 92.65 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2017.
According to the NBS, the non-oil sector are agriculture (crop production), operations of the financial institutions and insurance, manufacturing, transportation and storage and Information and Communication.