Nigerian agriculture in 2030...
Imagine... Kaduna, Abuja and Onitsha are mega cities like Lagos, supplied with food made-in-Nigeria, some of it coming from urban agriculture on roof tops and gardens along rail-and waterways. A rail and road network that picks up food where it is produced and delivering it to consumers with a marginal loss of goods.
Imagine... Nigerian researchers breeding a cassava variety that produces double yield even in the harshest of climates, and breeding livestock immune to some of the new epidemics under extreme weather conditions.
Imagine... researchers and extension services supporting big and small farmers, getting the new cassava and livestock to them, helping them to decide what best to grow where extreme rains and droughts are degrading their lands. Imagine... small farmers growing more food year-round and making more money from processing their products through drying, conserving and juicing. Imagine... subsistence farmers protecting their soil’s fertility because they have secure rights to their lands, armed with knowledge of organic and sustainable farming techniques. Imagine... a new generation of Nigerian female and male farmers who choose what to grow next season after checking market trends online, using appropriate technology and machinery even on medium-sized farms.
