ROLES OF GOVERNMENT IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
The roles of government in agricultural development include;
- Formation and execution of policies
A key role of the government in agricultural development is the formulation and execution of meaningful policies, as well as defining the aims and objectives of the agricultural sectors of the economy.
- Provision of physical infrastructure
Government should ensure construction of good roads, bridges and other infrastructural facilities that serve as a link to markets. It should also provide electricity, pipe –borne water, crop storage facilities and other physical infrastructure which aid agricultural production, directly or indirectly.
- Granting of loans, credits and subsidies
Loans, credits and subsidies are continually needed for agricultural production. Loans are money lent to farmers with the signed agreement that they will pay back at later dates. Credits refer to seeds, agro chemicals and materials which farmers are allowed to take immediate possession of with the understanding that they will make more repayments at later dates. Subsidies are money granted on behalf of farmers to partly pay the costs of certain agricultural inputs.
- Setting-up of schemes, bodies and other official organs which aid agriculture
Various agricultural programmes such as farm settlement schemes and agricultural development projects and bodies such as marketing boards, as well as organs such as agro service centres are to be established to render a wide range of services to agriculture.
Other roles of government in agricultural development include:
5. Provision of social infrastructure
6. Harnessing of natural resources to service agriculture
6. Solving agricultural problems of multidimensional nature
Government Agricultural Programmes
- Farm settlement schemes
Farm settlement schemes are government projects where large tracts of land are exclusively reserved for farming. The fundamental aim of farm settlement schemes is to provide opportunity for settlers to farm without distraction, allow beneficial interaction and permit them to be able to jointly solve mutual problems encountered in farming.
- Co- operative Farming
Farmers’ cooperative society is a formal association of farmers for the purpose of mutual cooperation among themselves in matters relating to farming.
- Farm Insurance Scheme
The farm insurance scheme is a means of protecting the investment of farmers in the farms.
- Operation Feed the Nation
The federal government of Nigeria, in an attempt to reduce dependency on importation of foods from other countries, executed a programme called Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) between 1976 and 1979. The aim of the programme was to increase local food production.
Other government agricultural programmes include:
- Green Revolution (GR)
- River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAS).
ROLES OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGO) IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Non–Governmental Organisation (NGO) are organisations which are not created or controlled by governments, or which are primarily not for business concerns . Some NGOs whose activities have been quite remarkable in recent years are;
- West African Rice Development Agency (WARDA)
The West Africa Rice Development Agency (WARDA) is an information research organisation with headquarters in Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire. The mandate of WARDA is to improve the capability of the West African region in rice production. This organisation conducts researches aimed at developing better rice varieties and improving the management of natural resources in rice production.
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is based in Ibadan, Nigeria. IITA conducts researches in various aspects of crop husbandry, plant breeding, plant protection, soil science and to some extent, agricultural engineering. Its main crops of focus are maize and cassava.
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) formally known as International Livestock Center for Africa (ILAC) is headquartered in Addis – Ababa, Ethiopia. Overall, ILRI investigates livestock production systems in Africa with emphasis on ruminant livestock. It aims at improving the capability of Africans in the production of meat, milk and other animal products.
- International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
This is based in Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, in the Asian nation of India. The mandate of ICRISAT is to improve the quantity and reliability of food production in the semi-arid tropics.
ROLES OF GOVERNMENT IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
ROLES OF GOVERNMENT IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
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Why d fgv did not applies a penacredity method a youth and rather than keeping d youth away
It is nice
Why nigeria fertilizer is no fossil, government try and do some about it pls.