SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, HIS EXCELLENCY, SENATOR (DR.) ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI (C.O.N) AT THE PUBLIC HEARING BY THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT – 7TH NOVEMBER, 2017.
PROTOCOL.
1.My sincere thanks to the Chairman and members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development for inviting me to declare open this Public Hearing on the consideration of three important Bills, namely: (i) Legal Framework for the Inclusion of Cassava Policy Bill 2017 (SB 152); (ii) National Livestock Bill 2017 (SB 373); and (iii) National Fertilizer Quality Control Bill 2017 (SB 338).
2.These are very timely Bills, targeted at some persistent issues we are grappling with in the Agriculture sector today. It is imperative that we craft the legislative underpinning to policy initiatives that will alleviate the difficulties being experienced. Only then can we truly make the leap to a sustainable and viable Agriculture sector, one that will set us on the road to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2, which is Zero Hunger by 2030.
3.This Public Hearing is in recognition of the need to take on board the views of stakeholders, in order to ensure that the provisions of the proposed Bills are indeed fit for the purpose. The views and ideas shared today will make all the difference in our ability to deliver food security as well as poverty alleviation, while engaging our teeming youths in jobs and enterprise, for the greater prosperity of our country.
4.Distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, we are currently undergoing a cassava crisis, due to a glut occasioned by the crash in the price of cassava stems. Last year, the problem was of a different hue, with an exponential rise in price, when demand outstripped supply. We seem to have perennial challenges with cassava. The reasons include: the inability to strike a balance between demand and supply, as well as pricing conflicts between farmers and processors. There is a need for better management of the cassava yield to ensure sufficient output, while enabling farmers to get due returns for their labour. We must increase the number of processors in the country, even as we work to raise the quality of the produce. As one of Nigeria’s staple foods, and one with many derivatives, cassava is a crop we cannot ignore.
5.Nigeria’s livestock production is also grossly inadequate. We spend some 22bn dollars on food imports annually, with chicken alone accounting for 600bn naira of that sum. Cattle, the most valued of our livestock products, meets only 60 per cent of our demand. It was recently revealed that a Nigerian cow produces only one (1) litre of milk on average per day. When we compare that to the 50 litres output of a cow in the EU – and 15 litres in some other African countries – it is all too clear that we are a long way away from sufficiency in dairy products.
6.Moreover, there are a number of aggravating factors at play. Our porous borders are a soft touch for smugglers who bring unregulated livestock into our country. Problems such as the depletion of grazing reserves and desertification are fueling conflicts between farmers and herdsmen across many states, posing a threat to national security and the peace that previously existed between our communities.
7.The third Bill, on fertilizer, seeks to build on existing structures through much needed regulation – to standardize the manufacture, importation, quality and distribution of fertilizer. All across, we need greater investment and incentives, including tax breaks and access to loans, for our farmers to thrive.
8.Distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, it is my firm belief that, with the quality of professionals and stakeholders we have here today, this public hearing will prove to be a most useful engagement. I am confident that your submissions will aid the fine-tuning of these Bills, so that they can properly address the challenges faced in the areas of Cassava Policy, Livestock and Fertilizer Quality.
9.Accordingly, it is with pleasure that I hereby declare this Public Hearing open. I wish you fruitful deliberations and look forward to your findings.
Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
