As part of drive to end the looming food crises and bring down the current skyrocketing prices of food items, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has called on the Federal Government to take urgent action ahead of the 2021 harvest season. Making the call recently in a statement, the AFAN National President, Kabir Ibrahim, as well urged government to resuscitate the Guaranteed Minimum Price (GMP) and National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA). He also tasked government to restock the Strategic Grains Reserve (SGR) between October and November this year. Ibrahim stated that the looming distortion in the food system by skyrocketing prices of food items could be tamed by taking decisive action in eight weeks when the new harvest would start entering the traditional food markets across the country.
He said: “This week has witnessed a marginal drop in food prices because early maturing crops have started hitting the market and the trend is likely to continue until it reaches a crescendo at the end of September and mid-October. The right time to intervene by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) through the SGR is at this point by resuscitating the GMP and transparently placing supply contracts.
