Urban farming can check rising costs of food – Agric experts

By Yinka Olawale

Agro experts have identified urban farming as the new solution to the recent high cost of food items in the country.

They made this known at the 2023 AgriQuest Africa Network (AQAN) Food System Summit with the theme: “Rethinking Sustainable Food System in Nigeria: Current Trends & Pathways,” on Saturday in Lagos.

Dr Adelaja Adesina, the Managing Consultant, Bdellium Consult Ltd., ‘Operation Do It Yourself’, said farming in the urban areas would increase food production and reduce cost of food in the market.

Adesina urged people in the urban cities to grow some food crops in the confines of their homes and compound.

He noted that this was one of the current trends and the pathways to sustainable food production that could feed Nigeria’s growing population reputed to be largest in Africa.

According to him, Nigeria’s population growth rate is estimated to be 2.4 per cent per annum, and projected to increase from about 220 million in 2023 to 400 million people in 2050.

On his part, the Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Dr Olufemi Oke, said the essence of famers coming together was for the rethinking and sustainability of food systems.

“We are also collaborating with the AQAN and we are also thinking of how we can improve on our food systems.

“We believe that if this can be done by the new administration then the price of the commodities will reduce,” Oke said.

Also, Mr Abiodun Olaniyi, the Executive Secretary, AgriQuest African Network, noted that the increase in the price of food items was due to the alarming rate of wastage of farm produce.

Olaniyi, the Convener of AQAN Food System Summit, said that Nigerian framers produce enough food to feed the nation but the high level of wastage had contributed to the artificial scarcity and subsequent high cost of food items.

The executive secretary said there was the need to curb wastages of farm produce for farmers to enjoy more profit from their sweat.

“The problem we have in Nigeria is not that we are not producing enough food, the problem is that majority of food we produce get wasted.

“For example, 30 per cent of grains we produce are destroyed by insects. About 50 per cent of fruits and vegetables we produce are wasted during transportation.

“If these wastages can be reduced, prices of food items will be more affordable, as farmers will have more money,” he said.

Olaniyi also said farmers were entrepreneurs, noting that when a farmer loses some percentages of farm produce, the normal practice would be to increase the price of available produce to cover up the loss.

He noted that the essence of the summit for upcoming farmers was to deepen their knowledge, practice and networking among the food systems practitioners and stakeholders in Nigeria.

Olaniyi expressed his belief that by 2030, Nigerian farmers should be able to put up a strong market for Africa in terms of agribusiness.

The convener added that the essence of the summit was to increase food production looking at the business of agriculture not the culture of agriculture .

He urged the incoming government to take it further from where the outgoing administration stopped.

“We want government to focus more on food production, food security and food safety.

“These are very paramount because when we have independence of food then that is number one independence for the people,” he said

Olaniyi also urged the new administration to work more on increasing food production, food security and food safety for the farmers in Nigeria.

(NAN)