LAGOS – Mr Oghene Egoh, a former lawmaker, who represented Amuwo-Odofin federal constituency, has commended President Bola Tinubu for the significant strides recorded by his administration in ensuring food security and reducing the prices of essential food items.
Egoh made the commendation during an interview with newsmen in Lagos, on Tuesday.
According to him, food prices were extremely high when the Tinubu administration assumed office, but have dropped substantially following policy reforms and increased agricultural output.
“For instance, a basket of tomatoes that sold for about ₦18,000 previously now goes for as low as ₦5,000 in many markets, providing relief to households.
“Similarly, the price of a bag of rice, which hovered around ₦150,000 before, has fallen to between ₦45,000 and ₦55,000 in several parts of the country.
“Other staples have also recorded price reductions, as the price of garri has dropped from about ₦60,000 to ₦30,000, while palm oil prices have equally declined.
“The development has been widely attributed to improved food production and supply, driven by federal government interventions in the agricultural sector, ” he said.
He said that the decline in prices had triggered concerns among farmers, many of whom now complain that prices of agricultural produce have fallen below production costs, affecting profitability.
Egoh described Tinubu as a listening leader, and that he would respond to the concerns of farmers.
“Reports from farming communities in Plateau, Adamawa, Gombe and Benue states indicate that some farmers are apprehensive about returning to farming due to fears of losses.
“Despite these concerns, stakeholders say Nigerians should commend the President for responding to long-standing complaints about high food prices.Consumers can now afford many food items,”he said.
He said the government had pledged to urgently support farmers through incentives, including free farming equipment, subsidised fertilisers and other interventions to sustain production.
The ex-lawmaker said he had no doubt that Tinubu would listen to cries of farmers and provide them with the necessary support to improve production in order to make more profit.
“The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, recently said the government would step in where food prices fall below farmers’ costs to encourage continued investment in agriculture,” he said.
The former lawmaker encouraged farmers to export surplus agricultural produce for profit making.
He noted that Ghana export yam ,worth millions of dollars,to support its economy.
“Nigeria can do same too by exporting some of their agricultural produce to support the economy,” he said.(NAN).
