In a bid to enhance the capacity of institutions to take advantage of opportunities effectively and sustainably address structural constraints affecting food production, the federal government is to develop food system implementation framework.
This was disclosed by Dr Florence Ngozi Uchendu, Consultant on Zonal Mapping of School Farms, farm Settlements and Estates in Anambra State.
The program is being Coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.
Dr Uchendu who was speaking during a meeting with the State Commissioner For Agriculture, Dr Forster Ihejiofor in his office, said she was in the state for data collection for the development of the framework.
She explained that the collaboration of state government was needed through relevant Ministries to achieve desired results, adding she had already visited Masdevan Farms and some schools across the state.
The Consultant noted that the initiative aimed to identify challenges, prospects, opportunities and investment gaps so as to develop approaches that would target value chain.
Commenting on measures to address food safety and nutrition issues, she called on relevant agencies such as NAFDAC to be alive to their responsibilities to protect the health of people against consumption of adulterated foods that could cause cancer, liver and kidney failure.
“The challenge ahead for us as a nation is to see how to strengthen collaboration to ensure food security. We are concerned about the states because they hold the key to the grassroots and that’s why we want the collaboration with Anambra.
“We are hoping that in the nearest time, we would be able to finalize these platforms and have a well-coordinated food ssystem framework,” she said.
Responding, Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Forster Ihejiofor, said the Ministry will support the initiative to accelerate agricultural development through sustainable, inclusive food safety and agriculture systems.
While condemning use of toxic chemicals in food and our ecosystem, he reiterated government’s position on adoption of regenerative/biological agriculture, which is ecosystem friendly and more profitable rather than chemical agriculture.
The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Samuel Ike Esq,the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning and Development Partners,Mrs Stephanie Kelly Uzor.
