FG SHOULD MAINTAIN BAN ON IMPORTATION OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE- PASTOR KINGSLEY WORDU
… TASKS YOUTHS TO EMBRACE FARMING
By Clifford Christopher Solomon
Following rising unemployment in both the government and private sectors in Nigeria, a cleric in the Redeemed Christian Church of Godband and farmer, Pastor Kingsley Wordu, has called on the federal government not to lift the banning on the importation of agricultural produce in the country.
He said the ban is helping Nigerian farmers as well as creating employment opportunities in the country.
“Buhari’s administration’s banning the importation of agricultural products into the country has been a very big help to farmers because our products are all over the market and people are buying them as against the practice of producing and not being able to sell as a result of influx of products from China, India and other countries into Nigerian markets.
“Since the ban on importation of products, whatever we labour to produce due to the shortage of raw materials, we have a market for it; this makes it a very good plan of this administration,” Pastor Wordu said.
The farm executive explained that farm attendants witnessed lay-off due to the scarcity of feeds last year which made farmers to record losses, and forced some out of business.
“The lay-off was a result of scarcity of feeds last year; the millers and feed industries encountered shortage of raw materials in the area of soya-beans and corn last year and that affected the availability of feeds which resulted to many farmers not being able to feed their stocks and selling them off.
“Some could not recover and also could not stock-up again because they lost their capital in this regard we had no choice but to lay-off some of our workers”, he explained.
The now major player in the poultry farming business in Nigeria narrated how he started his farm with 1,200 birds and now has 15,000 birds as well as other farms such as plantain, yam, etc.
He advised youths to go into farming stressing, that farming is good, as it will enable you have food on the table and food for the people around.
He stated, “I will seize this opportunity to encourage youths, let’s look away from corporate organization job that is not available; there are vast lands that we can encourage ourselves in farming with. Nigerians should not be lacking and crying of what to eat. Our soil is so fertile that when you plant anything, it grows”.
The owner of Ediswa Farm called on government to maintain the ban on importation of agricultural products. Said he: “Government should maintain the ban on importation of agricultural produce into this country to enable us the local farmers market our products because that ban is still a major boost to agriculture in Nigeria.
“Also, the government should empower the youths through soft loans because the one government is trying to do through the Central Bank of Nigeria failed as the monies did not get to those who ought to benefit”.
