Increase Budgetary Allocation In Agriculture, NGO To Govt.

-By Iheanyi Enwerem – Owerri

A Non-governmental Organization, (NGO) Agric Budget Plus Cluster in partnership with USAID and other international organizations have urged the government of Imo state to increase the budgetary allocation in agriculture, saying that the sector has continued to meet the needs of the society in the area of food, shelter and clothing.

Further hinted that agriculture being a major sector of the economy accounts for up to 35.21 percent of total employment in 2021, providing livelihood to over 70 percent of the rural population with 80 percent of them as females across the various agricultural value chains.

Executive Secretary of the NGO, Nnennaya Enyinna-Eneremadu made the above disclosure when she and her team paid a courtesy call to the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prof. Placid Njoku, on Monday. She opined that inadequate funding of agricultural sector from government is the reason the sector is unable to meet up to expectations of increase in food production and other needs in the society.

The scintillating agricultural expert noted that organization is also championing same increase in the budget of agriculture in other South East States of Enugu, Abia, Anambra and Ebonyi in partnership with other societal organizations.

Speaking further she stressed that the benefits in the Agric sector have for some time being moved to the backstage which resulted to the food insecurity issues not just in South East but across the country, whereas agriculture employs over 70% of the rural population. Again, that their visit is practically to advocate for the timing population who need government development in rural areas for them to be able to carry out their agricultural duties.

Responding the Deputy Governor of Imo State Prof. Placid Njoku argued that the problem of low productivity in agriculture is not solely because of low budget allocation to the sector, but rather, the fact that the citizenry has continued to take agriculture for granted over the years, as well as the mindset of the farmers which are stuck with subsistent farming.

The deputy governor revealed that the 1.7 percent allocation to Agric sector in 2022 budget, according to the NGO, was not exclusive, as the present Imo State Government has been making honest effort in funding other sectors of the economy which has direct bearing on agriculture, like; the state University of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, massive roads construction, especially in the rural areas, improvement in the primary health care services of the state, massive investment in the Information Communication Technology (ICT), investment in power, among others.

The Imo number two citizen added that the state runs an open budget system where people in communities and villages are given opportunity to contribute to the budget formulation.

Imo Deputy Gov Prof. Placid Njoku receives documents from Executive Secretary of Agric Budget Plus Cluster Imo State, Nnennaya Enyinna-Eneremadu.