The Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Mr Femi Oke, Lagos chapter, commended the Federal Government on the continuous closure of land borders.
Oke told NAN in Lagos that the closure had motivated farmers to carry out more production to meet the increasing demands, describing it as a good development.
He said that farmers would ensure that there was food security and also sufficiency because of the involvement of more people in farming.
Oke stated, “We are now coming to realise that it is very necessary for us to come back to agriculture. We discovered that most of the produce done outside the country was coming in illegally and this has encouraged most of our farmers to do more on our production.”
Also, the immediate past chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Plateau Chapter, Mr John Dasar, told NAN that the closure of borders would boost poultry farming in the country.
Dasar stated, “The closure of our borders will enable Nigerians to consume what poultry farmers produce locally.”
He noted that the closure would also ensure the consumption of more healthy poultry products, adding that most of the imported poultry products posed health hazards to Nigerians.
“Aside from the security challenges that the border closure seeks to address, I think for us poultry farmers, it is worthwhile and a step in the right direction.
“We are happy because it will promote poultry farming, boost the personal income of farmers and the revenue base of the country.
“Now, Nigerians can consume healthy poultry products.
“Just within a short period, the influx of imported products has reduced and the demand for our local poultry products, particularly eggs, has increased,’’ Dasar said.
He, however, called on government to sensitise Nigerians the more, to better understand the rationale and benefit of its decision.
He also advised the government to be diplomatic in shutting down the borders, adding that international trade remained a key means of improving the foreign exchange of the country.
