Agriculture in its simplest definition is the production of food and rearing of animals. Going by this primary definition, agriculture is essential for the survival of both man and animal races.
Apart from providing food for mankind, agriculture plays important roles in nation building, which include: increase in foreign reserve through exportation of farm and agricultural products.
Before, the discovery of oil in Nigeria, several years ago, agricultural was the main stay of the nation’s economy. Nigerians earned their living through agriculture. It is very sad that the exploration of crude oil has forced many to abandon the farming activities and began to look for white collar jobs in township and big cities.
Considering food as one of the basic needs of man, relegating agriculture to the background will cause untold hardship to a nation such as ours. Due to the non-challant attitude of our leaders toward agriculture, the price of some basic foods such as garri, rice and beans had gone up, in such a way that a common man finds it very difficult to afford them.
Let us plead with the government and other relevant agencies to initiate policies that will revitalize the agricultural sector. Loans without adequate collateral security should be made available to farmers. Cold rooms should be built in the rural areas to preserve farm products. Moreso, access roads must be constructed for easy transportation of agricultural produce from the rural areas to the urban. If nothing is done about the resuscitation of the agricultural sector in no distant average Nigerians will start eating from the dust bins. ###
