Food availability, sufficiency and affordability will continue to be a mirage as long as banditry and attacks on farmers continue, the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology has declared.
Its chairman, Mr Sunday Bamgbose, told newsmen on Friday in Lagos that no nation could boast of sufficiency if it did not have the capacity for affordable food supply under any circumstance.
He also said there would be no positive result to the food crisis in Nigeria if the country continued to apply obsolete solutions to trending challenges.
“I don’t expect any positive result if we keep applying 15th century solutions to 21st century problems.
“Government needs to do a root cause analysis of the problem affecting food production and apply solutions devoid of sentiments.
“It is abnormal that we are still talking of grazing route in this century when we have better option in ranching,’’ he said.
Bamgbose called on government to pay more attention to the outcomes of its efforts at ensuring abundant and cheaper foods for Nigerians.
He further advised government not to regard criticisms of some of its food policies as condemnation but rather look at the prospects.
He also urged individuals and corporate organisations to manage food expectations by engaging in one form of food production or another to help to improve the current situation.
Bamgbose recommended subsistence farming involving everyone in backyard farms for crops and livestock.