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To cushion the effect of damages caused by bandits on farms, ActionAid Nigeria has called on federal and state governments to promote insurance policies for small-scale farmers
It maintained that farmers cannot continue without insurance cover, given rising agricultural risk due to insecurity, farm raid, cattle rustling, kidnapping and climate change, among others.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day Public Financing for Agriculture Budget Committee Advocacy Summit, held in Abuja.
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The participants maintained that without solving food-farm security issues, the country cannot solve national and state issues, adding that with rising hunger and social insecurity, peaceful co-existence will continue to be threatened.
The statement, however, noted that to boost food security and reduce hunger, government must scale up public investment in agriculture, including ensuring timely passage and budget releases.
The group emphasised that most agricultural activities are seasonal and determined by climate change; hence there is need to mitigate untimely release of funds.
“The agricultural sector requires a separate budget cycle to enable the agriculture ministry achieve its mandates. Buffer funds from such sources as consolidated revenue, revenue surplus, natural resource funds, national agricultural development funds, among others, should be considered, given the strategic importance of the sector.”
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