The National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) has rolled out some initiatives to reduce food prices, boost productivity, and return displaced farmers to farms.

The Executive Secretary of the Authority, Mr Cornelius Adebayo, during an interactive session with journalists in Abuja highlighted the programs including Renewed Hope Restoration Project, Renewed Hope Mega Farm Estates, Green Hope Project, Aqua Hope Project.

He maintained that the main aim of the authority in the short term was to reduce food prices, ensure the availability of food, and concentrate resources in areas where their impact could be measured

He explained that under the Renewed Hope Mega Farm Settlement, they intend to establish mega farm resettlement across the country, saying such farm settlements would help tackle the farmers-herders crisis.

Adebayo said farmers will be put in clusters and provided with necessary security apparatus, as well as farm inputs, extension, and mechanization services among others.

He disclosed that they are building one of such mega centres in Ekiti State, saying it will curtail input diversion as well as increase farmers’ access to mechanization services.

On the Aqua Hope Project, the NALDA boss said it was designed to increase fish production in riverine states in Nigeria.

He noted that women and youths in some riverine states would be engaged in fish farming for local consumption and export.

Commenting on Green Hope Project, Adebayo said the Agency, in collaboration with other institutions, would encourage the production of vegetables in greenhouses rather than open-field cultivation.

He disclosed that NALDA has already deployed greenhouses to be installed from Epe to Sagamu, saying the cluster would help provide the vegetable needs in Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states, adding that for the FCT cluster, the greenhouse is also being installed in the University of Abuja to be managed by the Faculty of Agriculture of the school

Under the project, Adebayo said they have partnered with the Rural Electrification Agency to deploy solar pumps to farmers for irrigation purposes.

He explained that the primary mandate of NALDA is not the cultivation of farms but rather the creation of enabling environment for farmers to boost food productivity.

He noted that the Authority is poised to provide support to smallholder farmers, adding that “agriculture is not an intervention but a business.”

Adebayo pledged to assist private investors to de-risk their activities, by providing enabling environment and infrastructure for them to thrive.