Classwork Series and Exercise (Agricultural Science- SS1): Organizations In Agricultural Development

 Roles of Government and Non-Governmental Organizations in Agricultural Development

The roles of government in agricultural production include

1. Formation of and execution of policies

A key role of the government is the formulation and execution of plans, as well as defining the aims and objectives of the agricultural sectors of the economy.

 2    Provision of physical infrastructure

The building of roads and bridges which forms a link to markets, provision of electricity, pipe –borne water, crop storage facilities and other physical infrastructure which aid agricultural production, directly or indirectly

3.  Granting of loans, credits and subsidies

Loans, credits and subsidies are continually needed for agricultural production. Loans are money lent to farmers with the signed agreement that they will pay back at later dates. Credits refer to seeds, agro chemicals and materials which farmers are allowed to take immediate possession of with the understanding that they will make more repayments at later dates. Subsidies are money granted on behalf of farmers to partly pay the costs of certain agricultural inputs.

4. Setting-up of schemes, bodies and other official organs which aid agriculture

Various agricultural programmes such as farm settlement schemes and agricultural development projects and bodies such as marketing boards, as well as organs such as agro service centres are established to render a wide range of services to agriculture.

Other roles of government are; Provision of social infrastructure, harnessing of natural resources to service agriculture, solving agricultural problems of multidimensional nature etc.

Government Agricultural Programmes

1. Farm settlement schemes

Farm settlement schemes are government projects where large tracts of land are exclusively reserved for farming. The fundamental aim of farm settlement schemes is to provide opportunity for settlers to farm without distraction, allow beneficial interaction and permit them to be able to jointly solve mutual problems encountered in farming.

  2.Co- operative Farming

A farmer’s cooperative society is a formal association of farmers existing for the purpose of mutual co operation among themselves in matters relating to farming.

  3.Farm Insurance Scheme

The farm insurance scheme is a means of protecting the investment of farmers in the farms.

Operation Feed the Nation

The federal government of Nigeria which was in power between 1976 and 1979 executed a programme called Operation Feed the Nation (OFN).

Other government agricultural programmes are; Green Revolution (GR) and River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAS).

Non-Governmental Organization

Organizations which are not created or controlled by governments or business concerns are referred to as non – governmental organization (NGO). Some NGOs whose activities have been quite remarkable in recent years are;

West African Rice Development Agency (WARDA)

The West Africa Rice Development Agency (WARDA) is an information research organization with headquarters in Bouake, Cote d’Ivoire. The mandate of WARDA is to improve the capability of the West African region in rice production. This organization conducts researches aimed at developing better rice varieties and improving the management of natural resources in rice production.

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is based in Ibadan, Nigeria. IITA conducts researches in various aspects of crop husbandry, plant breeding, plant protection, soil science and to some extent, agricultural engineering. Its main crops of focus are maize and cassava.

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) formally known as International Livestock Center for Africa (ILAC) is headquartered in Addis – Ababa, Ethiopia. Overall, ILRI investigates livestock production systems in Africa with emphasis on ruminant livestock. It aims at improving the capability of Africans in the production of meat, milk and other animal products.

International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

This is based in Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, in the Asian nation of India. The mandate of ICRISAT is to improve the quantity and reliability of food production in the semi-arid tropics.

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