THE non-governmental Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CSLAC) has urged farmers across the country to vote for only politicians with sound agricultural policies and programmes during the forthcoming general elections.

   Making the call Tuesday during a media parley organized by Oxfam in Abuja, CSLAC Programme Officer, Salaudeen Hashim, said that politicians seeking elective positions must urgently sign up the farmers’ manifestos, which the group has developed and launched, to guarantee their votes.

   He lamented that in spite of some significant public investments in the agricultural sector through ad-hoc intervention funds and mechanisms, small-scale farmers have remained shut out from these funds, thereby negatively impacting their food production capacities.

 Hashim further noted with dismay that the bank loan to the agric sector has remained 3.9 percent of the total loan portfolio, while farmers record an average 40 percent post-harvest loss. In view of this, he urged government to give priority to food security to guarantee national security.

   “It is pertinent to note that food security poses a pervasive and non-violent threat to the existence of individuals, considering that hunger significantly shortens life expectancy, undermines quality of life and limits participation in income generating activities,” he said.