Major Policies of Agriculture in Nigeria

Agricultural policy describes a set of laws or regulations related to agriculture and the import of foreign agricultural products. The government implements the agricultural policy with the objective of obtaining a special product in the national agricultural market for the benefit of the agricultural community and the country's economy in general.

Agricultural policy takes into account the value chain that begins with the preparation of the production of the primary product and ends with the consumption of the final product and includes all the economic activities that are carried out between these processes to original output, for example, the whole process of tillage, planting, fertilizing, crop protection, harvesting and production or other processing of products that add value to agricultural products, establishing institutions for primary processing, delivery, and the following activities occurs during high school as a wholesale, retail  in the service sector and banking.

The cost analysis of the chain provides a good agricultural forecast that includes everything from the primary production sector to the secondary and tertiary sectors. Policies are necessary to provide guidance and direction to be followed to improve the country's agricultural production and thereby reduce poverty. It also helps farmers to improve inputs.

These policies also contribute to the commercialization of agricultural production.

However, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and Development to formulate policies, rules and regulations that govern the import, transfer, use and quality of any equipment imported for agriculture and will -contribute to the development of the agricultural sector in Somaliland which has has been in existence for over 25 years, but still lacks a national agricultural policy, law and regulation. 

The Ministry of Agricultural Development should ensure that the coordination process between the regional authorities, including private companies, international organizations and other government agencies, has sufficient legal framework.

Therefore, once the necessary laws are established, it will guide the Ministry of Agricultural Development and other stakeholders in the sector.

It will help the industry players to engage in the wearable’s business in a productive and profitable manner and ensure that the interests and interests of the public are properly considered and protected.

The agricultural sector is of great importance in Nigeria because it benefits the farmers, the society and the whole country. Food production for an ever-growing population, employment, providing income to farmers, foreign aid donors, and providing resources for industry are some of the benefits of agriculture. 

However, some challenges limit the degree of contribution of the agricultural sector to the economy. Therefore, agricultural policies are designed to fill various gaps and promote the growth of the agricultural sector.

 

List of Major policies of Agriculture in Nigeria

1. Agricultural Extension, Technology Development and Transfer Policy

2. Agricultural Product Marketing Policy

3. Agricultural Credit Policy

4. Agricultural Research Policy

5. Agricultural Commodity Storage Policy

6. Agricultural Mechanization Policy

7. Land Resources Policy

8. Pest Control Policy

9. Water Resources Development Policy

10. Agricultural Commodity Processing

11. Agricultural Manpower Development and Training Policy

12. Agricultural Investment and Management Advisory Services Policy

13. Agricultural Cooperatives

14. Policy Agricultural Statistics and Data Bank Policy

15. National Fisheries Policy

16. Agricultural By-Product Policy

17. Forest Products and Wildlife Policy

18. Industrial Crop Production Policy

19. Rural Infrastructure Policy

 

1. Agricultural Extension, Technology Development and Transfer Policy

The purpose of this Act includes disseminating useful and useful information about agriculture to improve the welfare of farmers and apply the information disseminated. Various state governments are ensuring that media channels contribute to technology transfer, by providing adequate infrastructure and training facilities. Other measures used to achieve the objectives set out in this law are; stimulating the private sector to invest in the dissemination of agriculture and establish effective communication channels between researchers, extension workers and farmers.

 

2. Agricultural Product Marketing Policy

This policy aims to encourage export of agricultural products and efficient distribution of agricultural products during the year at affordable prices. To achieve this, the government provides incentives to agricultural exporters, state inspection of goods for export and the Federal Commodity Inspection Service guarantees good standards, providing infrastructure such as roads, markets and storage facilities to promote the development of agriculture, among other initiatives in this regard attention.

 

3. Agricultural Credit Policy

It was found that lack of income for farmers, especially those in rural areas, is a major concern for the development of agriculture in Nigeria. The agricultural credit policy was established in response to the situation as its objective is to provide adequate investment funds that are readily available to farmers at rates that lead to the growth of the agricultural sector. This is achieved through the implementation of policies that include a 10% increase in lending and priority for agriculture, changing the interest rate to enable the Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank (NACB) to access funds from the sources other than the Central Bank, and monitoring procedures to ensure compliance with the guidelines. Replacing school certificates with home ownership as security requirements for public financing makes it easier for small farmers to get agricultural loans.

 

4. Agricultural Research Policy

The objectives that the agricultural research policy seeks to achieve include; the development of better seedlings, seeds and fingerlings, the strength of higher seeds, the development of other effective methods for farmers involved in agriculture such as planting, harvesting, processing and storage of agricultural products, and the proper use of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and others agricultural interventions to reduce harm to people and the environment.

5. Agricultural Commodity Storage Policy

The goal of agricultural security includes ensuring food security for the country through the operation of security programs that guarantee food supply throughout the year. Another important objective of this policy is to ensure price stability in the medium term and between years.

 

6. Agricultural Mechanization Policy

The main objective of the policy in organizing agriculture is to reduce the difficulty of human labor in the agricultural sector by replacing driving with mechanical power. The use of artificial resources greatly reduces the cost of agriculture because human labor represents a large part of the cost of production.

 

7. Land Resources Policy

This policy focuses on the restoration of areas with problems from natural conditions such as erosion, drought and food, to prevent the spread to areas that are not affected by effective protection.

 

8. Pest Control Regulations

The objectives of the pest control policy include the protection of Nigerians and animals from deadly diseases and the control and monitoring of economic pests that have a negative impact on agricultural production. The strategies implemented revolve around the aforementioned objectives.

 

9. Water Resources Development Act

This agricultural policy was created for the following purposes, above all, the development of groundwater and surface water, construction and maintenance of water, control of water pollution and erosion.

 

10. Agricultural Commodity Processing

The purpose of this policy is to protect perishable agricultural products, which reduces any free time and price changes that occur due to seasonality of agricultural products. With the establishment of small-scale logistics companies in rural areas, job opportunities are becoming more diverse.

 

11. Agricultural Manpower Development and Training Policy

The purpose of this policy is to train extension workers in various aspects of agriculture from vocational to vocational level to meet the needs of Nigerian farmers. The Agricultural Development and Training Act is for organizing the training of extension workers and even funding for further training in gaining understanding and knowledge related to agriculture and the need for farmers' education.

 

12. Agricultural Investment and Management Advisory Services Policy

This policy aims to promote private sector investment in agriculture and create an enabling environment for these investors to thrive. This policy is aimed at coordinating management services to meet the needs of small and medium-sized farmers.

 

13. Agricultural Cooperatives

This policy was put in place to ensure that Nigerian farmers are protected from unexpected accidents that often lead to disastrous consequences. Through the system put in place by the Federal Government, the agricultural insurance policy benefits Nigerian farmers in the following ways; the establishment of an agricultural insurance scheme to cover the loan recipients of the federal government has invested in the support of the various state governments and organized private companies in the investment and implementation of policies and the collection of funds for investment to farmers through insurance company to improve agricultural production.

 
Objectives of Any Agriculture Institution in Nigeria 

• Improve the capacity of related companies, departments and units

• Update the technical infrastructure required to support the project

• Develop policy, national agricultural strategy, program plan, monitoring and evaluation.

• Develop human resources at all levels of the company

• Improve the existing institutions and help them create good policies, organizational structures, reference systems for individuals from departments and departments and effective management methods.

• Develop relevant programs to improve management skills

• Improve the coordination of the office and local staff

 

Key Policy Issues

• Development of food and nutrition security

• Manage pest and disease problems

• improve farmers' access to new technologies and farming methods

• Building corporate capacity and human resource development

• Sustainable water management

• Real estate, business, marketing and investment

• Promotion of agricultural research and extension activities

• Seed production, processing and storage

• Improve farmers' access to new technologies

• Advanced crop management and technology

• Agricultural linkages

• Improve collection, analysis, protection and dissemination

• Irrigation to bring stability to agricultural production

• Entrepreneurship and increased productivity, especially among the small

 

Therefore, the main aspects of policie include:

• Increases agricultural productivity and income, especially for smallholder farmers.

• Emphasis on irrigation to reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture despite limited arable land.

• Encouraging marketing diversification and increased production in non-traditional agricultural products and value additions to reduce vulnerability.

• Improving food security and reducing the number of people who are hungry and achieving the MDGs.

• Promotes sector development led by private sector workers.

• Promoting the expansion of research and dissemination

• Developing appropriate policies and interventions in environmental sustainability

• Ensure environmental support is available.