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Tag: agro rangers

  • Rangers to the rescue

    Rangers to the rescue

    Agro Rangers debut in 19 states and FCT. What of the remaining 17 states?

    The news is good and should be toasted by all: to boost the security of farms and farmers nationwide, the Federal Government has deployed 10,000 Agro

    Rangers to 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja.

    Farmers, often at the mercy of bandits, terrorists and allied violent criminals, should heave a deep sigh of relief — at least in those states covered by the security cover.  But what happens to the remaining 17 states not yet taken care of?  We should hope that the rangers should reach them soon enough too.

    But, while awaiting the security ring to be clamped over farmlands in the entire 36 states, this indeed is a good development to re-set the prospects of food security in our country.  There are too many sad tales of farmers, either being entirely shut out of their farmland, or being compelled, by criminals, to pay hefty tributes to do their honest and legitimate work.

    If these new rangers put a stop to these nefarious practices, then it would have been a new dawn.

    Again, the strategic thinking behind deploying an elite and specially trained unit, of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to tackle this all-important chore, should be saluted.  It just means spreading the services of the NSCDC from mainly urban duties to a rural one.

    If you add the fact that the same NSCDC is providing elite guards to serve as Forest Rangers as well as to keep sanity and security at mine sites, you would see the nimble thinking of maximising the use of this civil defence corps, without adding further burden to the police: the prime civil security outfit; and the military: the ultimate in citizen defence against external aggression. 

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    However, the army had latterly been deployed to keep the peace in explosive security zones within the country.  It is good therefore that the NSCDC is stepping up to fill the void, so that the army could return to its core and conventional function of defence.

    Still, it is assumed that the NSCDC elite corps, deployed as farm rangers, have not only been well trained but are also equipped with requisite arms and ammo to match the fearsome arsenal of the bully terrorists and bandits that have been arm-twisting the farmers.

    The taste of the pudding, as the saying goes, is in the eating.  If this experiment succeeds — and we don’t see why not, if it has been well conceptualised — we should witness a bumper cultivation; and even a more bumper harvest in the next harvest seasons.

    Harvest seasons because Olusegun Dada, the presidential assistant on agriculture who broke the news on the farm rangers, spoke about taking delivery of 5, 000 mechanised farming equipment in the first instance; and also giving support to till 10 million hectares of land nationwide. 

    This is indeed cheery news.  If all goes well, then the prospect of food security is bright, more so when the Federal Government is talking of maximising the use of dams for both wet and dry season farming.  But the crux is always in implementation, so those involved should get this right.

    The demon of high food prices is driven by many factors.  One is farm insecurity, which this farm rangers intervention is facing down.  That should drive up food crop quantity, from reasonable harvest.

    The other is high transport cost, in moving produce to the market.  Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) being mainstreamed should also grab a hold on that — eventually.  But right now, the government should put in more efforts in making local refining of crude a reality.  Whatever dip in fuel pump prices should build a strong momentum for CNG to truly arrive and re-set general lower transport cost that should drive down food  — and general — inflation.

    It’s additional good thinking that the farm rangers are not only trained in kinetic, but also in conflict management and counselling matters, particularly between farmers and herders.  This is a very vital role that could help increase the nation’s stock in both plant and animal farming.  It is also a great window to agrarian peace, until ranching that restricts herders to exclusive grazing and livestock processing spaces is mainstreamed.

    The rangers are coming at a critical stage in the nation’s agricultural and security history.  The NSCDC must ensure those deployed are above board, and do their work with civility, humility and integrity.  That is the way to earn the confidence and trust of our rural folks. 

    The rangers cannot afford the notoriety of another security parasite come to plague the long-suffering rural folks.

  • Fed Govt deploys 10,000 agro rangers to boost food security amid insecurity concerns

    Fed Govt deploys 10,000 agro rangers to boost food security amid insecurity concerns

    The Federal Government has taken another decisive step to boost food security and protect agricultural investments in the country.

     It has deployed over 10,000 Agro Rangers in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to offer security to farmers and farmlands.

    The initiative, led by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), is part of a broader strategy to address the challenges of food production and inflation in the country.

    Special Presidential Assistant Olusegun Dada, who announced the initiative, said it wouldensure the safety of farmers who have been increasingly targeted by violent attacks.

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    He said the Agro Rangers would mediate in conflicts between farmers and herders and prevent the destruction of farmlands across the country.

    Dada said government’s focus on agriculture as a pillar of national development is further underscored by the anticipated arrival of over 5,000 sophisticated farming equipment, which would be distributed to farmers.

    He said the equipment would boost the cultivation of over 10 million hectares of land, aligning with the administration’s ambitious goals to enhance food production and curb the rising food inflation crisis.

    Data said: “As part of ongoing efforts to enhance food security in the Northern region and other parts of the country, the FG through the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps(NSCDC) has deployed over 10,000 Agro Rangers across 19 states and the FCT.

    “The Agro Rangers will, among other things; safeguard farmlands and protect farmers from escalating attacks, mediate conflicts between farmers and herders, and prevent malicious destruction of farmlands.

    “While the food inflation crisis in the country is a function of many factors, insecurity has been a long term challenge and this collaboration between the NSCDC and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is expected to solve a major challenge faced by farmers across the country.

    “A reminder that we are expecting to take delivery of over 5000 sophisticated farming equipments, for the first instance, as the nation rounds up her efforts for the cultivation of over 10million hectares of land as envisaged by President Bola Tinubu Administration. “

    Dada said while the food inflation is influenced by multiple factors, including global economic conditions, government’s effort at addressing insecurity in the agricultural sector is a critical step towards stabilizing food supply and ensuring long-term food security in the nation.