Why Agric extension services are not effective – FG

The federal government on Tuesday blamed the poor agricultural extension services delivery in the country to the absence of a legislated policy.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Bukar Hassan, who stated this in Abuja at the opening of the validation workshop of the draft National Policy on Agricultural Extension and Advisory Service for Nigeria, observed that such a framework is required to regulate and guide service delivery activities and practices.

‘’The availability of such policy will also ensure effective support to farmers in the application of improved technologies and practices,’’ he added.

The Permanent Secretary, who was represented at the occasion by the Director, Animal Husbandry Services in the ministry, Mr. John T. Taiwo, however, said the challenge to fill this policy gap has been taken up by the ministry through its department of agricultural extension with the support of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

He commended IFAD for assisting the department to carry on the process of developing the draft policy document, adding that a legislated policy will facilitate the achievement of the agricultural objective of the present administration as contained in the Green Alternative.

Earlier, the Director, Federal Department of Agricultural Extension, Mrs. Karima I. Babangida, while highlighting the roles of extension service workers to the farmers, said the development of draft policy document that was validated at the workshop was one of the many steps to a legislated policy for agricultural extension and advisory service in the country.

The Director, who was also represented by Mr Omoh S. Imoh of the ministry, while thanking IFAD for its support, said “the document is still a long way to legislation into law. We need to prepare the companion document, the implementation strategy and the draft bill of parliament.’’