The National Coordinator of Zero Hunger Commodity Association, Dr. Tunde Arosanyin, has said that the coronavirus pandemic would affect farming activities and could lead to a shortage of food production.
Arosanyin, who made this known on Monday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja he discusses the effect of the ongoing coronavirus infection.
He urged the federal and state governments to assist farmers with inputs to safeguard the food security programme of the administration.
He said that already the food security of the country was been threatened due to the lingering crisis between the farmers and herdsmen in some part of the country.
“It will be double jeopardy if the ravaging virus is not contained, this can lead to the serious food crisis, hence government should put in place palliative measures to assist farmers with free farm inputs and little credit to encourage food production in 2020 farming season,” he said.
He said that the onset of the COVID-19 when the rainy season was about to start would affect farming activities and food production this year.
Arosanyin said that one major challenge was how to get farm labour in the face of a lockdown.
“Another problem is how to raise money for farm workers and input in view of the fact that most produce buyers may not be able to travel to the rural areas to buy from the farmers.”
He said that the farmers and the public needed adequate information and education on the best health practices to contain the spread of the virus.
He commended the federal and states government in their effort to see that the virus does not spread more across the country.
Arosanyi, however, urged that farmers should also be supported with safety materials such as nose cover, sanitizers, and disinfectant sprayers.
vanguard
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