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Domesticate FG Agric Promotion Policy, JDPC Urges Ondo Govt
By Niyi Olutunde, Akure
The Justice Development and Peace Centre Catholic Diocese of Ondo in conjunction with Action Aid Nigeria has called the Ondo State government under the leadership of Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN to domesticate the Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP) of the Federal Government in order to alleviate poverty in the state.
JDPC made the call over the weekend while addressing newsmen in Akure on the findings from analysis of Ondo State 2017 agriculture budget and its impact on small holders farmers especially women in the state.
While giving the breakdown of the budget analysis, the Chairman, Public Finance for Agriculture (PFA) Budget Committee, established by JDPC, Chief Akomolafe Pius, said the trend of Agric budget from 2014-2017 years shows the decrement in agriculture budgetary allocation from the year 2014-2016 and increase in 2017.
Chief Pius according to him said its obvious that the priority of the state government from year 2014-2017 has been on education, followed by health and rating agriculture third among the three sectors, adding that if agriculture is not taken as the priority sector, at best the gap between the sectors should not be that wide.
The budget allocated to the three sectors stated as follows: Agriculture in 2014, 2.57%, Health 10.1%, Education 20.65%. In the year 2015 Agriculture was 1.66%, Health 9.8%, Education 22.16%. 2016 allocation, Agriculture 1.10%, Health 11.62%, Education 24.98% while the current allocation, 2017 is, Agriculture 5.12%, Health 10.53% and Education is 21.78%.
The PFA budget committee Chairman however suggested that a separate budget should be put in place for agriculture in the state in order to meet up with farming season.
The budget committee which was to carry out the Ondo state government 2017 agriculture budget allocation said that law should be put in place to enforce release of agric budget at an appropriate time, irrespective of change in government or political instability in the state.
The committee at the end of their budget analysis also frowned at the way the budget was being formulated, as its lacks bottom to top approach.
On the agriculture finance/credit, the committee suggested that government should provide platform for smallholder farmers especially women in order to have access credit facility to finance their farm in their various communities in the state.
In conclusion, the committee therefore urged the Ondo state government to ensure proper implementation and monitoring of 2017 agriculture budget allocations.
