A prosperous nation is a nation that can feed the majority of her populace well; in quality and in quantity at any given time.
Truthfully, a prosperous nation boasts of prosperous farmers because the basic amenities and infrastructure are readily available for them and ease of doing business is guaranteed through different government support programs that are targeted to the needs of the farmers. It is easier for them to produce food under the right conditions and build better resilience. No nation can prosper with hungry people at the helms of affairs, NEVER.
However, neglecting the farmers in the nation building agenda is a disaster that would definitely happen. Whenever farmers resort to self-help, productivity is definitely going to decline. Today, this is our reality in many developing nations, where farmers provide everything for themselves; inputs, security, road infrastructure, water, environmental protection, schools for their children amongst others. They merely survive life with constant threat to their mental and physical health, with little or no access to health facilities. This is a sad and traumatic reality that no person should experience.
Then, the situation becomes exasperated with the issues of climate change, economic meltdown and increasing food inflation. Gradually, the land cultivated is declining, the agrarian communities are becoming smaller due to migration and insecurity and the most funniest question is being asked, "Where are the farmers?". The genuine answer is that they are everywhere looking for alternative ways to survive life. To bring them back to the farm or improve our supply chain? We need to be intentional and genuinely interested in investing in them by removing the obstacles to their growth and also addressing our root problems (I have written several letters on different issues that need to be addressed in my previous letters). In addition, we need a government who has strong political will to bring succor and development to the agricultural sector. This is a dire need for us right now as the impacts of many years of neglect has become a national burden and outcry.
A struggling land for food will continue to struggle if no conscious actions are done to ameliorate the suffering of her people. The basic needs of any man are food, clothing and shelter. Thus, food is one big component that needs to be addressed and it should be done NOW. A hungry person is an angry person and an angry person is less productive and inefficient. We need to bring productivity and efficiency into the system, therefore Let's feed our nation to prosperity.
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
However, neglecting the farmers in the nation building agenda is a disaster that would definitely happen. Whenever farmers resort to self-help, productivity is definitely going to decline. Today, this is our reality in many developing nations, where farmers provide everything for themselves; inputs, security, road infrastructure, water, environmental protection, schools for their children amongst others. They merely survive life with constant threat to their mental and physical health, with little or no access to health facilities. This is a sad and traumatic reality that no person should experience.
Then, the situation becomes exasperated with the issues of climate change, economic meltdown and increasing food inflation. Gradually, the land cultivated is declining, the agrarian communities are becoming smaller due to migration and insecurity and the most funniest question is being asked, "Where are the farmers?". The genuine answer is that they are everywhere looking for alternative ways to survive life. To bring them back to the farm or improve our supply chain? We need to be intentional and genuinely interested in investing in them by removing the obstacles to their growth and also addressing our root problems (I have written several letters on different issues that need to be addressed in my previous letters). In addition, we need a government who has strong political will to bring succor and development to the agricultural sector. This is a dire need for us right now as the impacts of many years of neglect has become a national burden and outcry.
A struggling land for food will continue to struggle if no conscious actions are done to ameliorate the suffering of her people. The basic needs of any man are food, clothing and shelter. Thus, food is one big component that needs to be addressed and it should be done NOW. A hungry person is an angry person and an angry person is less productive and inefficient. We need to bring productivity and efficiency into the system, therefore Let's feed our nation to prosperity.
Yours-in-Service
Babatunde
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