The Federal Government has blamed states’ lack of investment in agriculture for food inflation being experienced in the country.
The minister of Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, said on Wednesday.
Agba said though states were in charge of agricultural land, they did not invest in them for the desired effect on their rural citizens.
He noted that farm products were affordable at the point of harvest but became expensive due to poor rural-urban roads, causing supply chain disruptions.
“UNIDO report shows us in terms of employment, the MSMEs employ 70 percent of our people. So, you can imagine how much progress we will make when there are roads and power in these rural areas.
“In terms of agriculture, you find out that the federal government doesn’t have land that they would plant. The government has pushed for the Anchor Borrowers programme and that is going on very well but the state control lands states. They are the ones to provide land for agriculture.
“They are not investing in that. They would rather build skyscrapers in a city where people will see and clap but the skyscrapers do not put food on the table.
“When we’re talking about food prices, like I mentioned right now is driving inflation, prices of food at the farm gates are low. But when you now take it to the urban areas, you find out that the prices are high due to supply chain disruptions or lack of infrastructure to take them there,” he said.
He urged state governors to channel their resources into providing “food, nutrition, housing and clothing for our people before we begin to think of how to go to the moon and begin to build flyovers and airports in the state capital.”
