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Bureau warns of looming food crisis without coordinated efforts

By Joke Falaju, Abuja
26 March 2020   |   1:42 am
The Agriculture Bureau Association of Nigeria has warned that if the uncoordinated production and distribution of foodstuff continues, the country is at risk of food shortages for large portions of the population, extreme food inflation and massive food wastage.

The Agriculture Bureau Association of Nigeria has warned that if the uncoordinated production and distribution of foodstuff continues, the country is at risk of food shortages for large portions of the population, extreme food inflation and massive food wastage.

The group of indigenous Agro Business investors in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Suleman Dikwa and made available to The Guardian warned that if the country fails to act now, it might be facing a crisis of food supplies like it has never seen before.

Dikwa who is also the Managing Director of Green Sahara farms said: “Having worked with farmers across all of Nigeria’s regions, food manufacturers and exporters, we believe it is time to organize ourselves to avoid a crisis in the food supply of our nation. This is an opportunity to bring key stakeholders to the table to rationalize activities and keep the food chain flowing.”

The Bureau stressed the need for government to urgently identify key players in the food supply chain, track levels of food availability and manage supply and distribution, as this would require better linkages between users and producers.

He pointed out that with less air travels and government scaling down waste, more resources would be available in the system; hence the need for states to start saving as Nigeria now has the potential to grow its own food and live healthier.

He said: “We need to bring in all active players in the agriculture and allied industry, the pharmaceutical companies, the logistic companies into and emergency mode and develop a strategy to keep our supply chain running.”

The Bureau advised the need for farm camps, where only people working on the farms are isolated, adding that the logistics can be worked out with drop offs and pick ups.
They said shutting down the food chain stops, will kill more people than the virus stressing the need to take data of resources within our geographical area.

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