Operation Feed the Nation was a national agricultural extension and mobilization program instituted by the military government of Nigeria in 1976 as a measure to achieve self sufficiency in food crop production and inspire a new generation to return to farming. [1]
In colonial era, integration of Nigeria into the world economy was driven by the production of cash crops such as palm oil, cocoa and groundnut and the initial official intervention programmes concentrated on cash crops. [2] A resulting interest in innovation and entrepreneurship helped increase production of such crops. [3] However, a larger number of small subsistence farms across the country produced majority of the food crops for local consumption. The farmers largely in the rural areas sold their surplus produce in feeding the nation. But by the early 1960s, many of the smaller farms were not profitable, leaving their own farms to lie fallow for months, the farmers supplemented income by working on farms producing export crops, in addition, a new generation of educated youth moved to the urban areas to look for paid employment. Between 1965 and 1970, per capital food production was stagnant. [3] In the mid-1970s, the aftermath of a drought in the sahel region, stagnant crop production and an oil boom led to the increase food prices and importation of food crops. [2] Food importation also shifted the food taste of an increasing urban class from locally produced crops to imported food such as rice and wheat, making Nigeria more dependent on food importation to feed the urban household. Government soon sought ways to curtail importation and rising food prices and promote a back to earth mobilization programme. [4]
The Federal Military Government of Nigeria launched the Operation ‘Feed the Nation’ Programme (OFN), as a result of the chronic inability of the agricultural sector of the economy to satisfy the food needs of the country, there was hope for a revival of interest in agriculture. [5]
During the presentation of the 1976 budget, then head of state, General Obasanjo announced a proposed policy similar to a back to earth movement [4] tagged Operation Feed the Nation, the programme was formally launched in May 1976 and in following months, appeals were directed to high schools, colleges and institutions to become self reliant in food production by growing their own produce and selling the surplus. Biology and agriculture teachers in secondary schools took a crash course in farming in order to include it as part of their curriculum and secondary school students were advised to work on farmers during extended vacations.
Apart from extensive publicity given to farming, government involvement included extension services, subsidized fertilizer distribution [6] and an interest to increase commercial farming by large scale farmers. [7] Aircraft were acquired to spray pesticides, [8] poultry chicks were distributed to farmers. In addition, the government acquired large tracts of land to establish agricultural estates whereby plots were to be leased to farmers who receive extension support from the government.
The movement to increase entrepreneurship in the sector also involved a government mandate to the Nigerian Agriculture and Cooperative Bank to increase lending to farmers and agricultural credit scheme was initiated by the government. [7]
In spite of a mass mobilization campaign to return to farming and focus on agricultural entrepreneurship, five years after, food production was still lagging behind population growth. A new administration again launched a new programme, Green Revolution to replace Operation Feed the Nation. [7]
A farm is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used for specialized units such as arable farms, vegetable farms, fruit farms, dairy, pig and poultry farms, and land used for the production of natural fiber, biofuel, and other commodities. It includes ranches, feedlots, orchards, plantations and estates, smallholdings, and hobby farms, and includes the farmhouse and agricultural buildings as well as the land. In modern times, the term has been extended so as to include such industrial operations as wind farms and fish farms, both of which can operate on land or at sea.
Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming, is an agricultural system that uses fertilizers of organic origin such as compost manure, green manure, and bone meal and places emphasis on techniques such as crop rotation and companion planting. It originated early in the 20th century in reaction to rapidly changing farming practices. Certified organic agriculture accounts for 70 million hectares globally, with over half of that total in Australia. Biological pest control, mixed cropping, and the fostering of insect predators are encouraged. Organic standards are designed to allow the use of naturally-occurring substances while prohibiting or strictly limiting synthetic substances. For instance, naturally-occurring pesticides such as pyrethrin are permitted, while synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are generally prohibited. Synthetic substances that are allowed include, for example, copper sulfate, elemental sulfur, and veterinary drugs. Genetically modified organisms, nanomaterials, human sewage sludge, plant growth regulators, hormones, and antibiotic use in livestock husbandry are prohibited. Organic farming advocates claim advantages in sustainability, openness, self-sufficiency, autonomy and independence, health, food security, and food safety.
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The history of agriculture in India dates back to the Neolithic period. India ranks second worldwide in farm outputs. As per the Indian economic survey 2020 -21, agriculture employed more than 50% of the Indian workforce and contributed 20.2% to the country's GDP.
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For millennia, agriculture has played an important role in the Chinese economy and society. By the time the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, virtually all arable land was under cultivation; irrigation and drainage systems constructed centuries earlier and intensive farming practices already produced relatively high yields. But little prime virgin land was available to support population growth and economic development. However, after a decline in production as a result of the Great Leap Forward (1958–60), agricultural reforms implemented in the 1980s increased yields and promised even greater future production from existing cultivated land.
Agriculture is one of the main industries in Taiwan. It contributes to the food security, rural development and conservation of Taiwan. Around 24% of Taiwan's land is used for farming.
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Benin is predominantly a rural society, and agriculture in Benin supports more than 70% of the population. Agriculture contributes around 35% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and 80% of export income. While the Government of Benin (GOB) aims to diversify its agricultural production, Benin remains underdeveloped, and its economy is underpinned by subsistence agriculture. Approximately 93% of total agricultural production goes into food production. The proportion of the population living in poverty is about 35.2%, with more rural households in poverty (38.4%) than urban households (29.8%). 36% of households depend solely upon agricultural (crop) production for income, and another 30% depend on crop production, livestock, or fishing for income.
Agriculture in Cameroon is an industry that has plenty of potential.
Agriculture in Jordan contributed substantially to the economy at the time of Jordan's independence, but it subsequently suffered a decades-long steady decline. In the early 1950s, agriculture constituted almost 40 percent of GNP; on the eve of the Six-Day War, it was 17 percent.
Agriculture in Saudi Arabia is focused on the export of dates, dairy products, eggs, fish, poultry, fruits, vegetables, and flowers to markets around the world after achieving self-sufficiency in the production of such products. The government of Saudi Arabia is heavily involved in the agriculture industry and subsidizing corporate farming and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture is primarily responsible for agricultural policy. In the private sector, farmers receive long-term interest-free government loans and low-cost water, fuel, electricity, and duty-free imports of raw materials and machinery.
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