As the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic is biting hard on every sector of the economy, farmers that shared their experiences with media, called on the government for assistance so that the country will not experience food shortage after the pandemic.
Biodun Onalaja, Managing Director of Hyst Global Business Limited, in his view said that agriculture has many value chains; where one can easily harness the opportunity available in each of the chains.
He said that his company, which specialises on rice production is involved in direct production, processing and packaging of farm produce.
He said that the period of the lockdown affected the early farming season; most especially land preparation, inputs supply and transportation of finished product from the factory to the market.
Onalaja, who said that there was a reduction in demand as most of the buyers are cut off due to the lockdown, added that there was a wide gap created by blockage of the value chain, as movement of rice paddy from the various farms across the country was also hindered indirectly due to the negative effects of the lockdown.
Segun Adeyeye, Chairman Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN) Lagos State chapter said that the experiences are beyond human comprehension.
“As you know farmers deal with season; for instance, as a good farmer, you must plant your maize by middle of April and rain will not stop for anybody, though what is happening is for the safety of every one of us, I think the government must do something to enhance movement for farmers to be able to go to their farms because climate will not wait for anybody”.
Adeyeye, however, said that within short time if farmers are able to get back to their farms, the country will be satisfactory in terms of food production, and there will not be food shortage.
Shakin Agbayewa, a palm kernel farmer said that the experience is up and down.
“The experience is up and down we have not been able to access our farm but some people are able to access their farms like the livestock farmers, but what they did not know is that if we did not go to farm very soon they will run out of product. For instance the maize we plant is what they use for their own livestock feed, and the way the COVID-19 is going, we are technically going into recession”.
Dr. Femi Oke, Chairman All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State chapter, lamented that some of his farmers could not go to the farm.
He said the vegetable farmers and those that deal on perishable farm products are worst hit by the lockdown as they are not able to sell their produce.
“Some of our farmers that are into perishable such as vegetables give it out now on low prices, because before now they supply people far from their farms, but because of the lockdown they could not supply and people cannot come to them to buy, the means of transportation is not working and so they are now selling at a giveaway price. We want the government to complement our efforts on this,” he said.
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