20 I BUSINESS
1HE GUARDIAN, \Yednesda:)t I\pfil 25. 2012
FG raises alarm over looming food importation, signs MoU with Edo from lIImmH)zIon ''Ia AIu, BemnCil}"
111E FtderaI (M'I1lIJlenI.}'151 t~~ that: Nigm.1
mUtt'll spend ol whooping StsO bIllion byZ050, II ImportalJOn
0( rkc 15 nor. dlC'd;a1.
ilalSOSilld rood Importiltlon has rc.ch~ an .. Iumlng Irvcl of NU 0111;. m. calling to question the Input of the'
oIgnculnu'e SKUrit)t
~ect'lr
~mmcnt
In[o food 1 ht: ~rral Sditt agrkUIlure
sector ~orded a 7.3 percent
growth lasl year, but could
lobs. ro eocouf'ilge local rood pn>
nOI
crt-att'
ductlon. the Frororn Government. yesterday sIgned a Memorandum of Understanding (MaU), for hnprovtd c.;wava yield .100 production wIth fda Slal~
Speaking ilt a malden sum-
mit on .gricultu~ -Edo Stille Agribusiness Invt.Sllneni Summit 2012.w the Minislrrof Agticuhu~. Dr. Akinwunml
Ades!na, uld [he Federal Government would site lWO large-scale cass.1V.l pliUlLS capable of produdng Ll million lonnes ptr day In the siale, as p.lIl" of President Goodluck lonalhan's transformation agenda for I,hl" sÂŤ. [or. -II Is nor. acuptable that Nigeria s~nt NI.J [rllllon importing four basic Items. WI" Spent N6J5 billion importing wheat, we spent N356 billIOn Importln~ rice,
_WITII SIGNALAt.L OVER NtGElllA
SPEED UNUMI1ED
Nm billion on sugar and N97 bJIIlon Importing nsh. for all thai God hilS bleSsed us with Including overs and lak~ all over the plan'; we have become dumping ground ror Imponed food. "When I was made minister of A,gricullure I did make a promisr that my job as a minisler Is not 10 be a minister lor Importing food. my lob .a r mlnhler Is to ensure t lOll ~ unlock thr potentials thill we have and tNt was why I say I have nolhlng against India. United 5tat~ orlhalland. but each (Ounuy work for the Interest of thrlr peopll" and I must work for the Interest of mine. "I Glnnat undersQnd why farmers In other pam of the world are rich while In Nigeria ~ ha1o'e abandoned our farmers and developed a prodigal spirit of spending money on lhlngs that ~ pro.
duced In abund,'lIce. "Wecannat a(Cepll! be-:ause fisall)\ we Glnnol sustain It, economically it is unac '"cptable and politically I Is wrong, because IlO IliIllor can claim to be Independ!!'nt unless II can feed ItsI!'lf i1nd do so prolll'Iy.HI" said: -rbe potenwl of agrlcullUre Is "'99 billion tOday and Is supposed t o grow(0S256 billion by20JO_1 don't subscribe to the view thai you promise things In the future when you will flO( be there to be Mid accountable for IL We must transform and shorten the tllTtl!' period .;rnd I believe that Ls what the transformation action plan ~ have dl:W'loped b going to do. We have developed a syslem thilt will makr ;agricul(urI" In Nigeria emden! and competillve. whkh can create wealth and not povert)l. ~ have 10 .set a dear direction
that will grow the sector and make Nigeria agriculturally Industrialised economy," added. Edo St.lte Governor. Adams Oshiomhole. on his part. called for thr prohibition of waiver on aI/Importation of agricultu~l product!.. He Qld the Federill Government should create the enabling environment ;and poliCies that would make farmers thrive In the country. '"'Government must be prefrom s:~mlng vented walven. We must ~in to ask. 'who granted food Importation licences?' The starting point In rdormation enda IS to encourage peo. I" through agrk:ulrure. Edo ready to ptoYide land rIft of charge for AgricuituTilI inveSlmenL Edo State Is very much in hurry to compliment Fedt'I'il.l (;ovc:rnmenr' dJom.
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