Problems of agriculture in Nigeria and possible solutions
Nigeria has been dealing with food shortages and a growing population. As a result of the agricultural sector's inability to provide enough food for the fast-growing population, the country must import most of its food. As a result, the problems of agriculture in Nigeria have gotten much worse. This article explores the situation in Nigeria and possible solutions to agricultural problems.
Source: UGC
What is the solutions to the problems of agriculture in Nigerian market? Read on to find out the main issues and ways to change the situation.
Problems of agriculture in Nigeria and possible solutions
Today, the agricultural sector is one of the most important in the country; it employs around 70% of the Nigerian labour force. But the sector suffers because of low output, and because of that, it is getting harder to feed the increasing population. Here is a list of problems in Nigerian agricultural sector.
Poor infrastructure
The current state of infrastructure in many sectors resulted in a high level of migration among able-bodied youths. Youths don't want to stay in rural areas because of poor infrastructure and move to cities. Because of that, agriculture in villages loses its workforce, reducing its output.
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Another example is bad roads. The situation with roads increases the cost and time of transportation. In addition, some goods perish during transportation.
Dormant research facilities
Unfortunately, agricultural research institutions in the country don't work efficiently and effectively. All these institutions don't have clear coordination or direction of work.
Most of the research ends up on shelves and doesn't help to change the current situation. Most farmers, considered end-users of these researches, can't put the data from research facilities into practice.
Education and modernisation
The lack of mechanized equipment and illiteracy of most farmers is why it is hard to implement modern farming methods. As a result, many farmers still stick to archaic farm practices. Most problems of agricultural marketing in Nigeria are related to a poor level of education.
Unserviceable machinery
Source: UGC
The government imports several tractors from time to time, but there are no service stations to repair or replace parts for such machinery. This results in more damaged tractors packed on the farm without repair.
Food processing issues
20-40% of the harvest is lost annually during the processing. Among the main problems is the lack of proper storage facilities; pests attack the harvest, and the storage conditions reduce the crops' quality.
Government policies
There is a low level of hybrid seedlings importation, and it is still not easy to get fertiliser subsidies. However, today some government programs aim to develop the agriculture sector, unlike in the past when there were no qualitative programs to boost the sector.
10 solutions to agricultural problems in Nigeria
Now we know the main problems of agricultural development in Nigeria, but what are the solutions to agricultural problems in Nigeria? Viable solutions can ensure a new level of the agricultural sector in the country. Here are some solutions to problems of agricultural marketing in Nigeria.
1. Educating people
Among the first ways to change the situation is training and raising the level of education. Skilled and educated workers can sustain the durability of mechanised farm tools. Modern agricultural education programs for farmers are a needed tool to change the current situation. This is one excellent solution to the problems of agriculture in Nigeria
2. The mechanisation of agriculture
Another step is providing educated farmers with modern farm machines and equipment. Such machines will help make work easier for the farmer, and thus farm produce will eventually improve.
3. Upgrade supervision
The Agricultural Research Council supervises, coordinate, and implement agricultural development. Therefore, the council will serve a great deal in solving the agricultural problems of their country.
4. New government programs
Source: UGC
The government should introduce new government programs to incentivise able-bodied youths to be involved in farming.
5. Pesticides and fertilisers
There should be local manufacturers of pesticides and fertilisers. This will subsequently improve farm input, and the prices will be affordable for farmers who can easily access them.
6. Loans
There should be a developed system of available loans at reasonable interest rates for all farmers in the country. Most farmers need loans to keep their farming business growing and be able to solve urgent issues on their farms.
7. Less importation and more export
The government should take measures to curb the importation of food products. In most cases, Nigerian agriculture products are organic because most farmers don't use chemicals to boost the harvest. In our modern world, where many countries need more healthy food, it can become an excellent factor in increasing the export of agricultural products.
8. Reconstruction of the irrigation system
The irrigation system should be reconstructed to solve the problem of unreliable rainfall. This will help in the continuous growth of farm foods, and the supply will not go down.
9. Solar and wind power system
One more solution is to develop the usage of solar or wind power systems. Solar can help reduce the dependence on oil and gas hence being economical for all farmers.
10. Stronger leadership
The agricultural sector requires strong leadership. Honest, patriotic and caring leadership is one of the main factors in solving all other problems in agriculture.
Above are the current problems of agriculture in Nigeria and the possible solutions. In recent years the situation is changing; there are more educated farmers and investments in agriculture.
READ ALSO: What are the 10 economic problems that Nigeria is facing?
Legit.ng recently published an article highlighting Nigerians' primary economic challenges. The list of challenges in Nigeria is lengthy, as it is in many other developing countries.
Some of these problems include issues such as corruption and unemployment. Nigeria's economic growth challenges today are diverse. This article highlights the major ten and the possible solutions.
Source: Legit.ng
