Tackling Food Insecurity – Independent Newspaper Nigeria

Those that surprise why they must pay such extremely exorbitant worth for meals that’s so learn­ily obtainable within the markets have to be pondering by way of classical financial idea, which says that the place provide exceeds demand, costs will drop.

These theorists could have forgotten the tongue-in-cheek Latin caveat, “Ceteres paribus,” or “All issues being equal.” One other Latin phrase, “Caveat emptor,” or “Purchaser beware,” additionally absolves Adam Smith of duty for the assump­tion that costs will fall when­ever provide will increase.

One of many circumstances that will trigger ‘all issues not being equal’ may very well be in Northern Nigerian farmers taking advert­vantage of the weak naira to promote their farm produce to West African and Asian international locations, to earn overseas foreign money.

This resolve to export meals produced in Nigeria, coupled with authorities’s importation of foodstuffs, could each result in greater costs of meals objects. Clearly, the Organised Non-public Sector is unable to influence the Northern farmers towards exporting their produce.

The federal government’s removing of subsidy from petrol, electrical energy and overseas alternate has led to the staggering 39.93 per cent meals inflation that has decreased the amount and high quality of meals that the common Nigerian can afford to purchase.

Nutritionists at the moment are sug­gesting new tips to assist Nigerians keep a nutritious diet within the face of excessive price of meals. Prof Ignatius Onimawo, a college vice chancellor and public well being nutritionist, causes that “If you don’t eat meat, hen or fish on a par­ticular day, however you eat beans, groundnuts or Bambara nuts, you continue to have taken protein for the day.”

One other public well being nutri­tionist, Prof Beatrice Ogunba, means that consuming egg is pretty much as good as consuming hen. She argues that fruits, greens, cereals and milk ought to guar­antee all-round good well being in nowadays of excessive price of dwelling.

And Prof Wasiu Afolabi, a former President of Vitamin Society of Nigeria, means that, to chop prices of dwelling, Nige­rians ought to emphasise the con­sumption of domestically produced foodstuffs as a substitute of imported foodstuffs.

Different measures might embody authorities promoting imported foodstuffs at managed worth, just like the Nigeria Nationwide Sup­ply Firm used to do. This may solely be a short-term coverage, as a result of it is going to result in corrup­tion of the dimensions that accompa­nied imported backed petro­leum merchandise.

In our view, the extra realis­tic, however medium-term, measure is for governments, in any respect lev­els, to safe the farms, utilizing Forest Rangers because the President promised, and supply extra agricultural inputs, like mech­anized farm tools, a inventory of spare components, seedlings and fertilisers.

As well as, authorities should take a holistic industrial view of the agricultural sector by encouraging native and overseas traders to enter large-scale faming and agro-allied indus­tries that may flip the farm produce into processed meals objects.

The federal government should take one other have a look at its coverage on commodities boards, com­modities inventory alternate and the Financial institution of Agricultural if the financial institution continues to be within the legacy obligations it inherited from the Individuals’s Financial institution, Nationwide Agricultural and Co-operative Financial institution and the Household Financial Development Challenge.

Maybe, it’s essential to elucidate the implications of the absence of meals safety to Abubakar Kyari, the pinnacle of Ministry of Agriculture and Meals Safety.

Worldwide relations ex­pert, Hans J. Morgenthau, says that “A rustic that’s self-suf­ficient, or almost self-sufficient (in meals) has an amazing benefit over a nation that’s not, and should have the ability to import the meals­stuffs it doesn’t develop, or else starve.”

In January 1980, America’s President Jimmy Carter im­posed a grains embargo towards the Soviet Union for invading Afghanistan in December 1979. Though American farmers felt the brunt of the gross sales em­bargo, the ban confirmed the vul­nerability of the Soviet Union that was visibly rattled.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Meals Safety has delivered completely no meals safety to the nation and its hungry individuals. Does the minister actually perceive the extent of his obligations? The near-fam­ine in Nigeria is dire, and such a strategic ministry shouldn’t be used for the poker sport of sinecure job for the boys.

We urge President Tinubu to wake his Minister of Agricul­ture and Meals Safety to his grave obligations, in order that inexpensive foodstuffs will be made obtainable to Nigerians, who should not precisely impressed with meals palliatives that don’t fairly go spherical everybody within the nation. The identical holds for all of the governors of the federating states.