Why we drafted National Agricultural Technology, Innovation Policy – Agric Minister reveals
Story from Najibullah ADAMU, Gombe
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar has explained that the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) 2022 to 2025 drafted to succeed the Agricultural Promotion Policy (APP) used from 2016 to 2020 was meant to enhance access to improved inputs, level of agricultural mechanisation, extension service delivery, access to finance and security of agricultural land and investments.
He made the explanation on Thursday during the North East Regional Validation exercise of the draft policy held at International Hotel Gombe in Gombe State.
Represented by the zonal director of the ministry, Umaru Yusuf Mohammed, the minister said the expectations for the policy framework include stakeholders’ synergy, knowledge creation, private sector-driven mechanisation, commodity value chain development, land and climate management and agricultural financing.
He added that the focus of the policy is the establishment of cottage industries and agro-processing zones for prioritized commodities, functional ranches, grazing reserves and integrated meat and dairy processing facilities.
The minister further stated that the policy targets to develop fisheries, calling on the participants to generate useful input that will shape and guide the ministry in the finalization of the policy.
Contributing at the meeting, one of the participants and Gombe State Chapter secretary of the Agro Dealers Association, Alhaji Sadiq Ado said the policy is timely, adding that some of their challenges include quality of the inputs, access to the inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides saying with those problems farmers lose a lot of money.
Another participant representing the people with disabilities, Fatima Sani Yakubu urged the federal government and the relevant bodies to come up with innovations that will enable the physically challenged to take part in farming too.
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