Fast-track bill on Agriculture, expert urges FG

An agricultural expert and chairman technical committee, Songhai farms, Katsina state, Dr. Salisu Angasu has challenged the Federal Government to fast -track the passage of a bill on agriculture before the National Assembly.

Dr. Angasu, who made the declaration while speaking with National Assembly Correspondents in Abuja said Lack of enabling legislation, near absence of regulatory body has continued to be the factors responsible for slowing agricultural growth, its contribution to the gross domestic production, government revenues.

He noted that unlike many other sectors of the nation’s economy, Agricultural sector has continued to operate without a strong legislation and a regulatory body over the years.

While lamenting the situation, the Agric expert  said the sector remains the most important in terms of contributions to the  domestic production, employment and foreign exchange earnings, adding that this has remain the same three decades later with the exception that it is no longer the principal foreign exchange earnings, a role now being played by the oil.

“The sector remained stagnant during the oil boom accounting for the declining share of its contribution in the GDP showing a substantial variation and long term declining from 60% in 1960 through 48% in 1970s and 22.2% in the 1980s” he said.