By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria
A study conducted by the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) in Nigeria, has revealed that promoting medium scale farming that are above five hectares is a potential policy tool for achieving increasing smallholder commercialization, small-scale farm income, and rural employment.
This was revealed in a presentation made by the APRA Workstream 1Country Coordinator, Professor Adebayo B. Aromolaran, of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, at community level research finding dissemination workshop held at Wusili Tourism Resort, Sabon Tasha in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. on Tuesday.
Represented by the Kaduna State APRA Work-stream 1 Coordinator, Dr. Fadlullah O. Issa, of NAERLS/ABU, Zaria, he emphasized that supporting the growth of medium scale farming in Nigeria by deliberate policy actions of government supported by other stakeholders in the agricultural sector could provide an important pathway to increasing agricultural commercialization, leading to significant increases welfare and livelihood of small-scale farm households.
APRA Nigeria work-stream 1 research findings also revealed that some major drivers of agricultural commercialization in Nigeria include increased access to labour and land markets, better land tenure security, extension services, rural road infrastructure and agro-dealer services. .
According to Professor Aromolaran, the APRA study also found out hat conflicts especially in the Northern part of Nigeria have severely hindered the ability of small-scale farmers to expand their operation to medium or large-scale farms.
However, it was observed that directing policy efforts at increasing off- farm income for small-scale farmers could help mitigate the harmful effects of conflict on their ability to expand.
The Country Coordinator said based on APRA’s findings, there is need to enhance public investments in rural infrastructure to stimulate private investment in the farm input distribution system and in downstream agri-food system.
In his remarks, the Director Monitoring and Evaluation, Kaduna state Agricultural Development Agency, Mr. Danjuma Luka said APRA has reduced their load work by successfully conducting the research project.
He said with this research, the extension workers will find their work very easy, particularly when reaching the farmers.
Dr. Luka advised participants to utilize what they learnt during the workshop when they return to their communities.
The Director commended APRA for organising the workshop after all the research and findings, as well as engaging the stakeholders to discuss what is on ground.
Participants at the workshop, Mrs. Ruth Yakubu a farmer and a community leader and Mr. Sunday Ball a farmer who represented the Chief of Gonin Gora called on government at all levels to assist small-scale farmers in all necessary ways to increase their ability to step up their scale of operations, in order to improve their livelihoods.
They appealed to the state government to establish processing plants in crops producing areas, stressing that this would help improve the ability of small- scale farmers to up their farm operations to medium or even large-scale farming.
