When the going seems tough, it's wise to diversify. As we are looking at the available prospects in the crypto world and other financial systems to build our assets together with the employment opportunities offered by the labour market, it is equally good to look around and see what other available options there are to be tapped into so as to effectively support our lives economically. There's a saying among my natives that when the needed is not available, the available becomes the needed.
Agriculture is as old as the existence of man. It was the first and still is one of the most effective ways of sustaining the economy.
Agriculture is the art and science of growing crops and rearing animals for human consumption and for income generation. Agriculture is a source of income. It is an important source of raw materials for local and international industries. Also, it is the major source of food.
Selling farm produce is one of the world's largest sources of income. Many nations of the world build their economy mostly from the sales of farm produce.
According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the following were some of the leading agricultural produce exports in 2022
Corn
United States
26% ($7.6 billion)
Fish
China
9.2% ($6.6 billion)
Palm Oil - Indonesia 51% ($10.4 billion)
Rice - Thailand 34.5% ($6 billion)
Soybeans - United States 50.5% ($16.5 billion)
Wheat
United States
18% ($5.4 billion)
Source: https://www.investopedia.com/
This data reveals that reasonable income can be generated from the sales of agricultural produce
The financial life of a man must be well supported for him to have a peaceful family life. Food security and income generation are vital in building a family. Agriculture provides these two essential needs of life effectively. Simple analysis reveals that feeding incurres almost the largest part of our expenses. Could we ever do without feeding? Absolutely, no! The strength to sustain our activities (physically and mentally) come from food. For the soundness of our minds and the effectiveness of our mental faculties, we need adequate nutrition. Thus, agriculture is absolutely the base of our life. It would be safe to conclude that without food there's no life. Going by that assertion, economy without agriculture wouldn't be viable.
Vibrant and thinking young men and women should strategize and explore the vast economic opportunities available in the Agricultural sector. From the aspect of crops and animals production to sales of raw farm produce to processing into secondary food products, there are numerous economic opportunities.
In Nigeria, a high volume of the food consumed is from importations. Why are we importing what we are eating? Is it because they're no farmlands for cultivation? Are we in shortage of manpower for farm labour? What really is the problem that a densely populated nation like Nigeria will be importing food items? Whereas many nations of the world are building their economy from agriculture. Investigating these queries will reveal one of the major cause of setback in our economy.
The problem isn't that there are no lands for planting. There are enough lands. From the northern part to the southern part; from the eastern part to the western part, Nigeria is a country blessed with fertile lands for planting of various types of crops.
If you want to think that there is lack of manpower, you should understand that Nigeria is littered with unemployed youths from all regions of the nation. In a country with well over 200 million people and a large number of unemployment; what are the unemployed doing that they can't farm? This is a question difficult to answer.
Regular interaction with the masses shows that there is a wrong perception about farming. The youths look at farming as a work for the poor and uncivilized. Therefore, you see a lot of them roaming the street; in search of benevolence from politicians rather than going to farm. They choose to serve as political and social thugs in exchange for peanuts. Hmmm! The naughtiness of illiteracy!
You could wonder why I say illiteracy. Yes, the highest chunk of the teaming population of youths are uneducated. Around the streets of Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt and other major cities, you will see many uneducated young vibrant people who can't even communicate effectively in English.
Education is a light. It enlightens the mind and removes the cloud of foolishness and deception. It's foolishness that will blind the eye of someone not to see the benefits of building himself rather than running silly errands for one politicians somewhere. It's deception that traps someone in the cage of enslavement whereby he becomes a political thug.
Proper education would have enlightened most of the youths and reveal to them the vast economic benefits in agriculture. Through sound agricultural education a lot of people would have been motivated into farming. To say the least, many civil servants and business men would have seen the investment opportunities in agriculture and invested in it.
One major bend in agricultural sector is the lack of workable policies to drive the sector. We have been hearing government announce several policy introductions which later went down the drain. The reason for this isn't far fetch. It is that the intention of our political class isn't to build the nation's economy but to enrich their pockets. So, if there could be sincere policy driving approach that could implement some of the agricultural policies, the sector would begin to thrive.
Such policies should avail interested farmers and farmlands, security, mechanization, input and market accessibility.
In an economy with a high rate of unemployment like Nigeria, it is wise that the teaming youthful population look into agriculture.
There are a lot of crop products which the nation can produce and export. Crops like palm oil, cocoa, cassava, yam, beans, groundnut, potatoes, vegetables, even fruits can be successfully produced in Nigeria for both the internal market and export. The high rate of food import into the country suggests that profitable agricultural opportunities are wasted.
