Write a letter to the Commissioner for Agriculture in your state deploring the low level of food production in the state and suggesting measures which the g...

18, Market Road,
Makurdi,
Benue State.
15 June, 2024.

The Commissioner for Agriculture,
Ministry of Agriculture,
Makurdi,
Benue State.

Dear Sir,

THE LOW LEVEL OF FOOD PRODUCTION IN OUR STATE

I write with a heavy heart to deplore the low level of food production in our state, and to suggest measures which the government may take to ensure that there is sufficient food for all.

It is a matter of great concern that a state once famed as the food basket of the nation can no longer feed its own people. Foodstuffs have become scarce and costly; families that once ate well now go hungry, and the little that is produced is quickly exhausted. This sad state of affairs is the result of several factors: the ageing of our farmers as the youth flee to the cities, the use of crude and outdated tools, the high cost of fertilisers and improved seeds, the ravages of pests and floods, and the poor roads that make it hard to move produce to the market.

In view of this, I respectfully suggest the following measures. First, the government should grant farmers soft loans and supply them with fertilisers, improved seeds and modern implements at subsidised rates, so as to raise their output. Secondly, agriculture should be made attractive to the youth through training schemes, farm settlements and incentives that will draw them back to the land. Thirdly, rural roads should be built and repaired, and storage and processing facilities provided, so that farm produce reaches the markets without waste. In addition, extension officers should be deployed to teach farmers modern methods and to help them combat pests and diseases.

I am confident that, if these measures are earnestly pursued, our state will once again overflow with food, and hunger will be banished from our homes. I look forward to your prompt and favourable consideration.

Thank you, Sir.

Yours faithfully,
Terhemba Aondo.