It depends on the type of farm settlements being considered. However, what I think is, it is important for the government to get an expanse of land, clear it, make it one in which you can operate tractors, demarcate it into hectares and then allocate it to farmers.
The farmers will be able to work on the allocated land under the supervision of experts.
Why I say experts here is because there are specialised equipment used in the agricultural sector nowadays.
For instance, in the area of cassava farming; we have planters, harvesters and many more. But as it is currently, individual farmers cannot buy some of the equipment mentioned.
Now, if such prices of equipment were available, they would reduce the cost of production.
The absence of these machines is one major reason why the cost of production in Nigeria is higher than what you see in other countries that are doing well agriculturally. •Mr. Segun Adewumi (The President, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association)
My take on the proposal to revive farm settlements is that government needs to be focused. It does not need to dabble into so many things to stretch itself. Looking at it, the present government institutions created to develop agriculture are not functioning. Take a case of the ADC system; it is not properly funded or equipped. We have many failed programmes because the government in the first instance, did not fund, staff, and equip them well. That is one.
The second is the attitude of the personnel that serve in these institutions. The workers are not committed to the ideals of these institutions; everybody is looking for what to grab at a particular time instead of building the institutions.
If you look at most states at present, they are setting up parallel structures to these institutions instead of strengthening them.
Some states are known to have set up technical committees on agriculture instead of developing agricultural extension systems that are in place.
Government should not, in my opinion, contemplate reviving the farm settlements. The programme failed because of leadership failure.
It will be a waste of taxpayers’ money. We had so many agricultural programmes in this country; you can name them – from Operation Feed the Nation; Green Revolution; Agricultural Transformation; Green Agriculture; FADAMA, and all sorts of other programmes.
If they are not funded by external agencies, they will not work and once external agencies withdraw, those programmes crumble.
My recommendation will be that the government should strengthen the existing structure, build the capability of the personnel in these institutions in all ramifications and let them function.
Fund them properly and monitor their performance regularly. There should be a regular upgrade of personnel skills.
My recommendation will be for them to improve our existing structures, particularly the agricultural extension system so that extension workers will serve the farmers well with new technology, new ways of farming and with new ways of managing their lives. In this way, agriculture can improve.
But to begin to revive a structure that collapsed long ago, I don’t think that will work. • Prof. Gabriel Umoh (A Professor of Agricultural and Development Economy, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State)
It seems we lack adequate comprehension of what the original concept of farm settlements was all about.
The original farm settlements as conceived by Baba, Chief Obafemi Awolowo were supposed to be optimum farming communities where the basic necessities of life which would help keep the farmers on the farm were available.
In addition to the land they were going to farm on, there was the provision of housing, water supply, source of light and schools and other basic amenities within that farming communities.
What we had then was supposed to be a prototype which, with the successes recorded were supposed to be replicated across board.
When the idea came about, Nigeria’s population was under 50 million but we have quadrupled that size. We should now be thinking of having plantations but we can have farm settlements where we can groom the younger generation to take interest in agriculture. • Senator Gbenga Kaka (A former Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture)
The farm settlements which I knew about in the First and Second Republics were settlements meant for farmers, not for cattle. They were such that there were hospitals and markets within or around and buyers came and bought crops offered for sale. Farmers were provided with comfort to remain in one place in order to cultivate the land. Now, they can even be made better because while you are there, you can communicate with people all over the world using mobile telephones.
These farm settlements can be seriously transformed, such that you also make provision for Fulani herdsmen but that is not the cattle colony they are talking about – that is completely ruled out. These cows could be kept somewhere with grass cultivated to feed them. It is even against the animal rights policy for you to make cows trek several kilometres looking for grass to eat or water to drink, when you can keep the animals somewhere and provide these things for them. When an animal treks for 50, 60 kilometres, what do you expect from it apart from low quality protein?
We need to modernise our cattle rearing system, such that even the man in Sokoto can house and feed his cattle in such a way that they can no longer threaten crop farmers. We are facing real danger (with open cattle grazing). You cannot eat meat alone; you have garri, yam and vegetables. But very soon, they will no longer be affordable because the cows have finished them all. So, we are going to face an increase in the cost of all these items because of the destruction of farms by cattle.
I will advocate an expanded farm settlement culture and policy that will cater for all farmers, whether cattle, goat, pig, fish or arable crop farmers, not in the form of the cattle colony the Federal Government is talking about. By so doing, we are ready to produce cattle of high quality and put all the farms together in an environment where the so-called cattle herdsmen can also benefit from basic education. This is because these farm settlements are supposed to have educational and medical facilities as well as open markets for buying and selling. If this approach is not adopted, Nigeria should prepare for a very serious food crisis that will cut across all aspects of farming. •Sylvanus Oboh (Professor of Animal Science, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma)
It is strategic for the federal, state and local governments to revive farm settlements. Billions of Nigeria’s foreign exchange is being spent on importation of food annually even when Nigeria has been blessed with abundant arable land and other agricultural potential.
Such a development is sad and a dent to productive and ingenious spirit Nigerians are noted for.
A farm settlement is otherwise known as a farm estate, where the entire required infrastructure is provided such as: a good road network, irrigation system, tractor, planter and harvester. All these are capital intensive and can only be provided through the government special project vehicle under the direct supervision of the private sector for income generation purpose.
For the sustainability of food security in our nation, agribusiness activities need to be organised and managed well in a strategic and well organised and coordinated manner.
Farm settlements will enhance productivity of farm produce, provide enough security for the farm and increase the farmer’s profitability. They will also create more job opportunities for our youths and increase government’s internally generated revenue at local, state and federal levels.
Reviving farm settlements will also help to solve the Fulani herdsmen/ farmers clashes. Moreover, it will encourage more investors to venture into the sector
The above reasons make it expedient for one to opine that the government at all levels should revive farm settlements. • Mr. Ajisefinni Tajudeen (Director, Enterprise Grooming Institute – An agriculture and training institute)
Compiled by: Success Nwogu, Okechukwu Nnodim, Etim Ekpimah, and Alexander Okore
By: Segun Adewumi, Ajisefinni Tajudeenc
Punch News
