THE All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, yesterday called on President Bola Tinubu to combat high food prices and hunger in the land with establishment of food banks in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

National President, AFAN, Arc Ibrahim Kabir, who made the call in a statement, said the one-off releases from strategic reserves was not the solution to the problem.

Rather, he said veritable food banks in all the six geopolitical zones were what Nigerians needed for the country to attain sustainable food security.

Kabir said: “Beyond one-off releases from the strategic reserves, Nigeria actually needs veritable food banks in all the six geopolitical zones for the attainment of sustainable food security.

“A veritable food system is evolved by committing to the proper and sustainable creation of a number of important pillars, including production, storage, processing, distribution and consumption.

“Production: The efficient productivity of farmers needs an optimum push by ensuring security to enable them go to their farms seamlessly and assisted to deploy science, technology and innovation, STI, which will ensure compliance to good agricultural practices, GAP, optimize mechanization, exposure to relevant education and efficient agribusiness by creating incubation centers as well as agriculture intelligence centers, AICs, all over the length and breadth of Nigeria.

“Processing: The maximization of processing and efficient value addition to bolster sufficiency, reduce importation and most probably enhance exportation in the long run and all these require the complete repositioning of the energy sector to effectively function.

“Storage: Especially cold storage as well as additional efficiently managed dry storages are sine qua non to reducing post-harvest losses and extending the shelf life of farm produce which should be pursued vigorously.

“Distribution: Effective and efficient distribution of farm produce as well as processed products from place of production to place of need is key to an efficient food system.

“Consumption: A very good and controlled consumption of food will reduce waste and reduce the emission of methane from decayed foods which are threat factors to the mitigation of climate change which is a global challenge to the attainment of global food security.

“The above enumerated parameters must be contiguously pursued by the federal, state and local governments as well as the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to be sustainably impactful.”

END.