LAGOS – The Community of Agricultural Stakeholders of Nigeria (CASON) has urged the Federal Government to institute `Farmers Day’ to recognise the role of farmers to the economic growth of the nation.
Mr Sotonye Anga, Coordinator, Youth Section, CASON, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos that there was a need to celebrate farmers.
According to Anga, the contributions of farmers to economic activities cannot be quantified because they are food providers, which is essential for human existence.
“The role of the farmer in any nation cannot be overemphasised because without food, all economic activities would collapse.
“Food production is key to the continuation of human existence and that is where agribusiness comes in.
“All the foods we eat are produced by hard working farmers whose faces we do not get to see and are not being celebrated.
“We are therefore calling on the government as a matter of importance to establish Farmers Day, a day to recognise and celebrate the farmer,’’ he said.
The coordinator urged all tiers of government and Nigerians generally to give more encouragement to farmers in the country.
He said that a decline in food production would be felt by everybody and setting out a day to celebrate farmers would enable Nigerians to realise the efforts they made.
“We need farmers to continue in business and so we should fashion out ways of encouraging and bringing succour to them.
“The farmer needs the government and the government needs the farmers, it is a two way thing.
“We need to let the youths know that they can go into agriculture and would be recognised for doing so,’’ the coordinator said.
Anga said that the farmers’ day would showcase all aspects of agriculture from technology, marketing, processing and farming. (NAN)
