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FOOD PRODUCTION IN NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
This paper uses the case of the
Nigerian food and agricultural sector to deduce implications for engendering
economic policy for the development of Africa. The food and agricultural
problems of Nigeria include low productivity and output, due to such factors as
limited access to input sources, the use of traditional technologies and
ineffective government and improvement policies. Gender related studies on
Nigerian agriculture reveal that women are pivotal to the rural economies of
Africa, as food and agricultural producers, processors and traders. In this
paper, their strategic position is juxtaposed with the fact that they often
operate on the margin of society, due to their low control of inputs and
output. A paradigm
shift is advocated in the paper. This
is to be effected through deliberate incorporation of gender as a separate
variable into development programming and projects. This will ensure, among
other things that production inputs get to the real producers, many of whom are
small scale women farmers. The issue therefore, is not whether economic
development policy needs to be engendered in Africa. It is how quickly it can
be done to stimulate the development of African rural economics.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Development efforts in the
post-independence period in Nigeria have produced mixed results. These results
are due largely to the growth-oriented approach to development planning which
emphasized growth in macroeconomic variables such as Gross National Product
(GNP), investment, etc. Thus Nigeria experienced growth up until the 1970s.
Average annual rate of growth of GDP was 4% in the 1950s, 3,5% per annum in the
1960s, and 6,5% per annum in the 1970s (Diejomaoh, 1984). Growth rates in the
1970s were very impressive: 8,7% in 1976-77; 7,5% in 1977-78; and 8,8% in
1979-80. In many sectors, however, performance was poor. The agricultural
sector in particular performed very poorly.
When the first National Development
Plan was launched (1962-68), agriculture contributed 61,2% of GDP and was the
chief foreign exchange earner for the nation. Planning efforts placed emphasis
on industrialization, and concentration on industry led to the neglect of
agriculture. This neglect was worsened by the discovery and exploitation of
crude oil in Nigeria. The 'oil boom' made Nigeria heavily dependent on oil
revenues, to the neglect of other section, especially agriculture.
The neglect of the agricultural sector
meant that it could not perform the is expected of it, such as providing
employment opportunities, self-reliance in food production, higher per capital
income, foreign exchange earnings and industrial raw materials (Federal
Ministry of National Planning, 1975). Instead rising food prices, growing food
import bills, decline of traditional exports, and increasing rural-urban
migration were the results. Imports of food and beverages rose from N61,6
million in 1970 to N2,1 billion by 1981 (Adeyemo, 1984). In per capita terms,
food production showed a declining trend. In the Third Development Plan Period
(1975-1980) efforts were made to revive the agricultural sector. The growth
rate of food demand was estimated to be 3,5% per annum while that of food
production was only one per cent per annum. Thus increasing food deficits were
expected if no
efforts were made to increase food production. One of the objectives for the
agricultural sector for the fourth plan period was to (Federal Ministry of
National Planning, 1981): promote increased production of food and other raw
materials to meet the needs of a growing population and
rising industrial production, a basic objective in this respect is the
attainment of self sufficiency in food within the plan period.
The Fourth Plan period witnessed the
launching of the Green Revolution Programme and implementation of various other
agricultural policies. However,
as Table 1 shows, total food production
did not grow significantly and per capital
food production declined. While Nigeria
could finance food import bills, deficits in food production could be absorbed.
However, the oil glut of the 19808 led to dwindling foreign exchange and an
inability to pay for food or raw material imports. This, in addition to mounting foreign
debt, allude it necessary to revamp the economy. The major economic policy
instrument of the 19808, to bring about greater balance in the economies of
developing countries, was the concept of 'structural
adjustment'. The Structural
Adjustment Programme was adopted in Nigeria in 1986. Among its objectives were to
(Central Bank of Nigeria, 1986):
* restructure and
diversify the productive base of the economy so as to reduce
dependence on the oil sector and imports
* achieve a fiscal and
balance of payments viability
* lay the basis for a
reasonable non-inflationary growth
* lessen the dominance
of unproductive investments in the public sector, improve the sector's
efficiency and intensify the growth potential of the private sector.
Emphasis was to be on demand management
policies which were to include (Ikpeze, 1988):
* curtailment of
recurrent expenditure through restraint on wage increases and employment
freezes
* reduction in
transfers to parastatals, coupled with a policy of cost recovery.
In addition to monetary,
fiscal and external policy measures, various sectoral policies were also strengthened
to expand and diversify the production base of the economy. In the agricultural
sector, for example, the major objectives were to:
* increase domestic
food production in order to improve nutritional standards and eliminate food
imports
* increase the supply
of raw materials to the manufacturing sector
* increase production
of exportable cash crops
* raise rural
employment and incomes.
The general emphasis was on the
attainment of self sufficiency in food production and basic
raw materials. Measures adopted included:
* disengagement by
government from direct involvement in food
* setting up the
Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) in conjunction with
State governments
* provision of
necessary support services to private farmers.
Since the adoption of the Structural
Adjustment Programme, an Agricultural Policy was launched in 1988. This was a
comprehensive policy package to be used over the next fifteen years to
improve the performance of the nation's agricultural sector. The main goals
of the policy were (Central Bank of Nigeria, 1988):
* attainment of self
sufficiency in food production
* self sustained growth
in the agricultural sector.
Policy instruments to achieve these objectives
included:
* selective subsidies
on farm inputs and equipment in order to reduce the cost of agricultural
production and producer prices
* tariff regulations to
help promote exports and discourage non-essential imports
* favourable fiscal and
credit guidelines to increase the competitiveness of agricultural commodities
on world markets
* review of land
acquisition and allocation laws in favour of agriculture.
Strategies to achieve these
objectives included (Central Bank of Nigeria. 1988).
* ecological
specialization in crops, livestock and forestry production
* encouraging all
scales of production, namely ,large, medium and smallsca1e
Farming
* input supply, ie
production/procurement and distribution of relevant agricultural inputs by
government
* expansion and
rationalization of the various support services rendered by government
While the Federal Government is to provide a general
policy frame work:
agricultural development, state
governments were to be
primarily responsible for.
* promotion of
extension services
* ensuring effective
access to land for farming
* involvement in
training and development of appropriate personnel
* pest and disease
control at state level
* agricultural credit
administration at state level
* provision of storage
for price stabilization.
Local governments were to assist in extension
services, the provision of rural infrastructure and the promotion of farmers'
organizations, while the private sector was expected to play a leading role in
investment, and the production, marketing, processing and storage of farm
produce. It was also expected to participate in input supply and distribution,
agricultural mechanisation, and research and the provision of basic
infrastructure (Central Bank of Nigeria. 1988).
Thus over the years, an overriding
objective for Nigeria's agricultural sector has been the attainment of
self-sufficiency in food production. Self-sufficiency in food production
implies that Nigeria should grow enough food to feed herself and have a surplus to
export if possible. In the past, agricultural policies have tended to focus on
male farmers who grow most of the cash crops which are exported a: used as
industrial raw materials. Increasingly, however, available data shows
that
food crop production and processing in
Nigeria are dominated by rural women, a in many other Mrican countries. This
project work examines the survey of food production in Orhionmwon Local
Government Area of Edo State.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Agriculture used to be the prime mover
of the Nigerian economy, especially up to the 1970s before petroleum became
important. Agricultural exports drove the economy forward. However, even at
that time, the food sub-sector was stagnating. Subsequently, stagnation and
decline covered the whole agricultural sector. Thus, for much of the period
from about 1970, agriculture has been unable to spear – head the development of
the Nigerian economy. Even, the Structural Adjustment Policy (SAP) of the 1980s
was not able to bring about development in agriculture. Much of the increase in
the growth indices for agriculture was notional, with little change in real
terms. This study hereby outline some of the problem that the agricultural
sector facing today:
i.
Problems of capital
ii.
Method of land acquisition
iii.
Lack of farming machineries
iv.
Marketing of farm produce
v.
Bad road network and
vi.
Neglect by the government.
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
This research work is on a survey on
food production. Therefore the objective of this study is to:
1. Identify the level of food/agricultural production
in the study area.
2. Problem facing the agricultural sector today.
3. Identify the role of the government in food
production
4. Identify source of capital to the farmers
5. Identify how the farmers market their goods.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. Does
increase domestic food production improve nutritional standards and eliminate
food imports?
2. Does
disengagement of the government in the agricultural sector reduce food
production in the country?
3. Does the
provision of necessary support service to the farmers increase food production
in Nigeria?
4. Does
government makes policies that are in favour of the farmers?
5. Is Nigeria
self-sufficient in food production?
6. Is the land
acquisition policy in favour of the farmers
SIGNIFICANCE
OF STUDY
Nigerian food production
had been neglected by the Government since the Colonial Era. This supported the
uncertain belief that Nigeria has enough food to feed the nation. It was not
until the latter half of the 1970s, when the Government took measures to
increase food production, that the Government admitted that there is a food shortage
in this country. The measures taken by the Government, however, had little
impact for food crop production and cash crop production. It is ironic that
many plans in which the Government took the initiative and mobilized her
institutions fully did not have significant influence, but the programs which
the Government was reluctant to start had the most significant impact on
agricultural production. It is apparent that governmental or semi-governmental
agricultural institutions, which are supposed to increase agricultural
production in the country, were not efficient but rather hindered. Therefore
this study will be of importance both to the government and the private
farmers.
This study will also
provide an insight into the level of food production and Nigeria. Stating the
problems faced by the agricultural sectors and ways to resolving these
problems.
SCOPE OF THE
STUDY
This research work is titled “A survey on food production” and it is restricted
only to Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State.
DEFINITION OF
TERMS
Food:
SAP:
Structural Adjustment Programme
Agricultural
Policy: This refers to laws
made by the government to regulate the agricultural sectors in the country.
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