AS PARTS of efforts in ensuring even distribution of incentives to farmers in the country, Federal Government has unfolded plans to collect and collate all farmers' data base in the countrySpeaking during the sensitisation meeting of stakeholders on national data base in Abuja, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Ezekiel Oyemomi said gone were the days when only few benefitted from government assistance to farmers.Oyemomi noted that with the full knowledge of the numbers of farmers, as well the size of their farms, it would be easy for Federal Government to evenly distribute incentives to farmers accordingly.'If we don't distribute incentives to farmers effectively, we have failed. Because we do not want to fail in our duties, we must ensure that we know who gets what and at what time. Transformational agenda on food security will only be achieved if the food providers get assistance from the relevant authority on the right bases, and this can only be achieved if we have all their data base.'The permanent secretary however warned stakeholders against sharp practices in the collection and collation of the farmers' data base because of any reason so far.He called for truthfulness and shrewdness in the part of the people that would go to the field across the country to get information about the farmers and enjoined them to perform their duties with the fear of God and the love of the country at heart.'For the purpose of the collection and collation of farmers' data base to be fulfilled, all stakeholders must strive for dignity without any form of favour. The field workers must perform their duties perfectly and not involved in any form of favourism. The main reasons for the data base collection and collation is for increase in food production for both local production and export. And that is why this present government is doing everything possible to ensure that the farmers get the right incentives at the right time.'Oyemomi promised to ensure adequate irrigation process for farmers in the country, especially those in the North, so as to ensure all-year round food production and abundance.Explaining how the data base would be collected across the country, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information, Salihu Gusau, who said his ministry's sole aim is to inform members of the public of any burning issue, said field workers would be sent to all the villages and towns in the country to get the necessary information on all the farmers.Gusau also said newspapers advertisements, radio jingles in all the native languages in Nigeria, as well as posters would be sent ahead of the field workers to the farmers so as to prepare their minds on government's intention on the collection of their data.The permanent secretary promised that by the time the farmers' information is readily made available to the government, there would not only be increase in food production as a result of even distribution of incentives to farmers, but it would also help in the national planning programme of the government for farmers.He therefore called on all Nigerians to help in disseminating the information to the farmers and other stakeholders before the field workers get to them, so as to save more energy and finance on the part of the government.
Click here to read full news..
