Flood Disasters Are A Setback For Our Efforts In Agriculture – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has lamented that the flood disasters that have ravaged some states in the country have proven to be a set back in the nation’s agricultural development.

The president said this while commiserating with residents of Kebbi State on the recent flood disasters that have destroyed their farmlands and homes.

In a statement signed on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the president said he was highly touched by the sheer scale of the losses suffered by the hard-working farmers in the state.

But apart from creating job opportunities and decent incomes for them, he noted that agriculture plays a key role in the economy of any country and the losses of the state had a ripple effect on the nation.

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Specifically, he lamented over the fact that the incident is coming at a time when the government is making efforts to boost its local production of rice, in which Kebbi plays a key role.

He said, “this sad news couldn’t have come at a worse time for this administration because of the role of Kebbi State farmers in supporting the government’s initiative to promote local rice production as part of efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on importation of the commodity.

“This flood disaster represents a setback for the efforts to boost local rice production in the country, for which Kebbi State is playing a leading role.

“When our farmers are hit by these kinds of large-scale losses on account of natural disasters, the government should be genuinely concerned, especially as this unfortunate event occurred at a critical time when my administration is pursuing a policy to restore the primacy of agriculture in our national life,” the President added.

He, however, urged the affected farmers not to despair, assuring them that they will not be forgotten by the government.

Furthermore, he commended the state government led by Senator Abubakar Bagudu for the swift measures put in place to alleviate the hardship of the victims and equally directed emergency federal aid in support.

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