Impact of nigerian agricultural policies on crop production and the environment
SummaryNigerian efforts in agricultural development over the past three decades have failed to improve the country's economy. A review of the sector depicts a gloomy picture. Performance is reflected in environmental degradation, mounting food deficits, and decline in both gross domestic product and export earnings, while retail food prices and import bills have been increasing. These effects have further impoverished the smallholder farmers, locking them into a poverty web. The Government must seek to establish agricultural strategies which promote political stability, self reliance, public participation, sustained production and environmental security.
Financial Sector Reforms and Agricultural Development in Nigeria: A Review
The financial sector is undoubtedly an important component of any economy and is essential in the development of the Agricultural sector. The movement towards a more friendly market oriented economy has attracted considerable debate among economist and policy makers. The reason being that as perceived by policymakers, the adoption of the neo classical economic dogma is capable of moving the economy in the path of sustainability, development and growth. The financial sector has witnessed several reforms pre and post Nigeria independence. The paper examined reforms in the financial sector in relation to agricultural development in Nigeria. It highlighted some reforms in the sector under different eras to include regulatory, liberalized and regimented regulations among others. These reforms did not only provide the intermediation that pooled funds from savers and channeled to investors but also provided the payment system that facilitated agricultural trade and exchange and significantly impacted agricultural production. The financial sector should be motivated to supply the funds needed for agricultural development while government should provide the enabling environment conducive for farming as a business through concessionary interest rates, tax free and import duty concessions.
Edible indigenous woody plants in the rural economy of the Nigerian forest zone
Abstract The paper sets out the limits of the Nigerian forest zone as the area lying generally between latitude 4° 15′ and 8° N of the Equator, including the derived savanna zone. The present state of knowledge on the edible indigenous woody plants which occur naturally within the forest zone, with regard to their contributions to the diets and overall economy of local communities, is outlined. The results so far obtained in the four phases of the study currently undertaken are discussed. These phases include the identification and occurrence of plants with nutritional value, the development of propagation procedures for the selected plants, the compilation of phenological data, and the investigation of intraspecific variation of some principal species. The paper further elucidates the economic importance of the plants, which in addition to direct dietary benefits, includes cash revenue; significance in traditional farming practices; supply of timber, firewood, chewing sticks, fibres, drugs, dyes; socio-cultural roles; and religious purposes. Finally, against the background of what is known about edible indigenous woody plants, the attention is drawn to several research needs and priorities which ought to enhance their contributions to the economy of rural people in Nigeria.