WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2011-01-28 Time: 22:00:02 Posted By: News Poster
By Abah Friday
There has been a sharp decline in the agricultural sector over the years, as manpower continues to reduce in food production.
The bulk of Nigeria’s food and the land that produces the food are in the rural areas. And food, as we know it, is one of the essentials of life. In addition, there are economic trees that can be cultivated on the land abundantly available in our rural areas.
Both the food and produce from economic trees are exportable for foreign exchange earnings for the benefit of both the individuals and the exporting country. From the beginning, the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy is farming and 70 percent of the nation’s rural population is engaged in it.
Rather than the nation to embrace farming and earn a good living, they have abandoned it to seek white collar jobs in the banking, oil and gas sectors as well as in the civil service.
Cash crops like cocoa, rubber, tea and palm trees, among others are grown in the southern part of the country, while cotton, gum, ginger, garlic, groundnut and a host of others, are grown in the Northern part. Infact, we have fish farming potentials in both the South and North of the country. The youths and even the older ones can take advantage of this and make agriculture an attractive business, rather than depend solely on oil and gas.
Cote D’ivoire and Kenya, for example, rely heavily on cocoa and tea respectively for their foreign exchange earning through export.
However, the government is not helping matters in this area, as it is guilty of paying lip service to the growth and development of agriculture in the country. The government should encourage willing Nigerians to embrace commercial farming by providing relevant amenities in the rural areas to attract young Nigerians to farming.
There is no nation which is self sufficient in terms of food production without the young people seriously engaged in the agricultural sector. Poverty will be reduced when employment is available for those willing and able to work, particularly in the agricultural sector.
The challenge facing the agricultural sector is the reduced manpower in the sector as young men and women are not interested in the sector, not even those who are graduates from the various agricultural institutions across the country, because of many factors. Social amenities, such as electricity to improve agricultural activities, food networks, recreation facilities, to mention but a few, are not made available by the government, hence, young people migrate to the urban centres, where these amenities are provided.
Crude farming and methods discourage young people from engaging in modern farming. Ignorance makes young people seek for white collar jobs rather than be engaged in farming and this is as a result of lack of orientation on the huge profits from agriculture.
Laziness is also a factor responsible for young people not to pick farming as an occupation, rather they want to leave for the city in search of white collar jobs. To further compound the problem in the agricultural sector, is the issue of finance; many young people want to engage themselves in agriculture but lack the capital, or access to loans, as the banks demand collateral with high interest rates. This frustration makes young people to quit the sector.
The issue of available farmland is challenging as many of them do not have land they can inherit or buy, and this makes it difficult for them to engage in agricultural practice.
Oshi Timothy, a student of Federal Poly Bauchi, stated that, “the world is turning into global village today, and so many youths are leaving the farm to go into more white collar jobs, because of the competition around the globe.”
Musa Thomas, a civil servant, in his view stated that, the nation’s theory-oriented teaching and education does not seem to make the needs of the society into consideration. Because of poor practical teaching and learning Agriculture as a course, it makes it difficult to really allow young people to be serious with this course.
Adejor Rose, a student stated that, “Nigeria is known and appreciated for her huge agricultural potential, if adequately maximised, poverty, hunger and crime will drastically reduce, also it will generate huge foreign exchanges for other developmental purposes. I believe that agricultural development is the way forward to reduce youth unemployment and restiveness, and government should make the sector more attractive.” Adejor advised.
The time to act is now, so that there will be employment and food for all by 2020.
Original date published: 28 January 2011
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201101280486.html?viewall=1