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The minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has disclosed that actual current value of Nigeria’s Agriculture is N15trillion.
This is against the potential value of N40trillion. The minister revealed this in Abuja when he received the executive members of the Forum for Agricultural Research and Development (FARA), in his office in Abuja.
Adesina submitted that the transformation agenda of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in the agriculture sector was envisaged to turn Nigeria’s agricultural potentials into realities.
He decried that the current agricultural income of the country stands at N15 trillion as against the potential value of N40 trillion.
To this end he said the ministry and FARA would partner on research and development to boost agricultural productivity in the country.
The minister emphasised the need for the adoption of research and development approach across the entire agricultural value chain to address the challenges of climate change, global economic recession and dwindling revenue which threaten food security.
Earlier in his remarks, the FARA Executive Director, Prof. Monty Jones, who led the delegation disclosed that his organisation was injecting $18million to boost (New Rice for Africa) NERICA programme in 18 States, and that three States would be selected from each geo-political zone
He added that the organisation was deeply involved in agricultural technology, dissemination and adoption of innovation in Kano and Katsina States, stating that the programme has recorded huge success in doubling rice yield from one tons per hectare to two tons per hectare with 150 NERICA rice farmers increasing their income from 20 tons per hectare to over 200 tons per hectare.
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