Government Efforts to Increase Food Production

Many African countries has embarked on gigantic agricultural development programmes that failed

Because of undefined government policies, absence of planning, lack of skilled and experienced personnel and inadequate provision of funds by the government.

In Nigeria, huge finance invested in various governments’ agricultural programmes (such as Operation Feed the Nation and Green Revolution) was grossly mismanaged. Gross financial management has also crippled many of the River Basin Authorities established by the Federal Government to boost agricultural production.

Factors that adversely affect food production include:

1. Unfavourable climatic conditions e.g. drought;
2. Lack of improved varieties of plant and livestock.
3. Conservative attitude of local farmers
4. Inability of many farmers to use modern farming techniques and;
5. Outbreaks of insect pest and diseases.

Government should do the following to aid crop production

1. Provision of irrigation system to supply water for planting at all season.
2. Provision of modern farming equipment to replace manual clearing equipment used by farmer.
3. Provision of good roads and other infrastructure that can aid food production, movement and storage.
4. Fertilizer should be made available at reasonable cost to farmers to improve soil fertility and boost crop production.
5. Training of local farmers in modern day farming to improve their skills.

EVALUATION (POST YOUR ANSWERS IN THE BOX BELOW FOR DISCUSSION)

1. List three agricultural programmes established by the government to boast food production.
2. State three factors that hinders food production.
3. State four ways by which the government can improve food in Nigeria.
4. (a)List ten method of food preservation. (b) Discuss any two methods of food preservation.
5. (a)State any five environmental factors that affect crop production. (b) State any five ways by which farm crops are wasted.
6. (a) list three major consequences of food shortage in the world growing population. (b) Describe an experiment to show the effects of food supply on population
7. (a) State five causes of crop wastage. (b) State four ways of improving crop yield and discuss any one of them.
8. (a) Name three agricultural programmes aimed at increasing food production. (b) State five ways by which government can improve food production in Nigeria.