The Chief Executive Officer of Raymos Guanah Farms, Raymos Guanah, has urged state and federal governments to support genuine farms with grants, loans and farm inputs in order to boost agricultural productivity.
Guanah made the call on Tuesday at the official commissioning of the 10 metric tonnes per hour oil mill of the Norsworthy Farms and Agro allied company at Akwukwu-Igbo, by the State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.
The mill is located in Oshimili Local Government Area of Delta.
Guanah said supporting genuine farms with grants, loans and farm inputs would not only increase agricultural production, but would also ensure food security in the country.
Guanah, a former commissioner for Lands Surveys and Urban Development in Delta, lamented that in most cases, government programmes were always politicised to the detriment of genuine farmers.
He, however, appealed to governments at all levels to ensure that such programmes get to the right people.
”With the abundance of land in the country and good vegetation, Nigeria has no business importing food,” he said.
Guanah also commended Dr Gabriel Ogbechie, the Chairman of Norsworthy Farms and Agro allied company Limited, for venturing into agriculture at this point in time when revenue from crude oil was dwindling.
He also stressed the need for a paradigm shift from crude oil dependent economy to agriculture which was the main stay of the Nigerian economy before the discovery of crude oil.
He, however, noted that rather than using earnings from crude oil to improve and increase investment in agriculture, that sector was abandoned and left for peasant farmers.
According to him, that is why with the large expanse of fertile land and vast rivers across the country, Nigeria is not able to feed itself but has to rely on food import.
Guanah commended Ogbechie for venturing into large-scale oil palm cultivation, adding that this would go a long way in reversing the trend of importing palm oil.
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”The singular act of Dr Gabriel Ogbechie in establishing the oil mill of this magnitude and the oil palm farm, will create a lot of jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers.
“It will also help to galvanize the economy of the local government area, Delta and the country at large,” he said.
Guanah also stressed the need for affluent Nigerians to invest in agriculture, adding they will not only be creating jobs for the teeming family of unemployed people, they will also be adding to food security in the country. (NAN)
