The Chairman of Grain Seeds Dealers in Anambra, Mr Emmanuel Ndubuisi, has called on the governors of the South-East to urgently address the challenges of insecurity, food shortage and escalating food prices.
Ndubuisi made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, on Tuesday.
He said that there was need for a proactive approach similar to the recent roundtable on food security held by South-West governors in Ibadan.
It will be recalled that at the South-West governors’ meeting on June 19, hosted by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission, strategies were outlined to enhance farm security, boost agricultural production and mitigate food scarcity.
Ndubuisi, therefore, urged governors of the South-East to emulate the initiative to address the needs of the people, attract investors and achieve food sufficiency in the region.
“The rising prices of essential food commodities, such as rice, maize, groundnut, bambara nut, beans, tomatoes and pepper are a growing concern for us traders and consumers.
“A 100kg of beans rose from N100,000 to N220,000 and N260,000, a bag of maize from N45,000 to N120,000, groundnut from N90,000 to N189,000 and a bag of bambara nut now sells for N240,000.
“Traders cannot buy as much as they used to, there is low patronage and even our customers are lamenting.
“This is why we are calling on our governors in the southeast to emulate the southwest governors to enhance food production through coordinated regional efforts.
“Such initiative is crucial for economic development, ensuring food security, and alleviating hunger in the southeast,” Ndubuisi said.
He also urged the governors to invest in the agricultural sector by supporting farmers to boost food production and ensure affordability for the benefit of everybody.
