An effective and efficient agricultural
policy should aim at attaining self
sustaining growth in all sub - sectors of
agriculture and improving the quality of
life of the people. This is an area in
which the Agricultural and Rural
Management Training Institute (ARMTI),
Ilorin has excelled. This has been
displayed in its strife at making
agriculture profitable to the rural
populace through a process known as
Commodity Value Chain Development
(CVCD).
This policy aims at attaining a self -
sustaining growth in all the sub- sectors
of agriculture and putting in place all the
necessary structural transformation for
the overall socio - economic development
of the nation. This is ultimately aimed at
improving the quality of life .
The objectives of the governmental
policy include attainment of self -
sufficiency in the production of basic
food commodities with particular
reference to those which consume
considerable shares of the Nigeria ’s
foreign exchange . Also, it focuses on
enhancing the comparative advantage
the country has in local production ;
increase in production of raw materials
to meet the growth of an expanding
industrial sector.
It also includes, increasing the
production and processing of exportable
commodities ,with a view to increasing
their foreign exchange earning capacity
and further diversifying the country ’s
export base . It does not exclude the
creation of rural employment
opportunities to increase the income of
farmers and rural dwellers .
The ARMTI’s CVCD which commenced
two years ago, had since been lauded by
the Minister for Agriculture, Dr
Akinwunmi Adesina as a right drive
towards making agriculture a profitable
venture for Nigerian farmers .
The institution had undertaken a
nationwide baseline study on selected
agricultural commodity value chains and
organised a national seminar for
relevant stakeholders to brainstorm on
the subject . Having concluded the study,
the ARMTI consequently embarked on a
nationwide presentation of its findings
across the nation’s six geo - political
zones. The development , it is believed ,
would allow each of the blocks to avail
itself by cashing into the commodity
value chain domicile within its
boundaries.(source Nigeria tribune)