Effect Of The National Programme On Food Security On Food Production
[A CASE STUDY OF ANAMBRA STATE]

However former executive director of DFRRI Rear Admiral William Ademoluti (rtd), disagreed that the interventionist programme failed. He said it made a great impact on the rural populace but that it was policy inconsistency of successive governments that led to the degeneration of the infrastructure and equipment put in place. He went further to point out that some DFRRI’s projects such as rural electrification and roads are still serving the communities they were provided for.
Idachaba et al (1980) and Nweze (1995) noted that the effect of these programmes have not been significant. Ajakaiye (1987) noted that one identifiable factor to the failure of these programmes was inadequate fund level. Ojo (1987) and Ohabuchiro (2001) are of the view that adequate funding has not been pumped in agricultural activities as well as neglect on the parts of the government.
2.6    The National Programme on Food Security (NPFS)
The NPFS is one of government’s efforts towards boosting Agricultural production. It does this by extending relevant financial and material assistance to the rural farmers. Under the NPFS farmers are expected to organize themselves into various enterprise cooperative groups before they are eligible to access the NPFS benefits. The pilot phase was launched in November, 2001.
The project was fully financed by the Nigerian Government. The NSPFS funded three production/demonstration sites in each state and one in the Federal Capital Territory. According to Onugha (2008), the implementation of the NSPFS resulted to a rapid improvement in food production, food security at household and community levels and rural poverty alleviation in concerned project areas.
Based on the success of the programme, the Federal Government decided its expansion for a period of five years. This led to tripling the number of the demonstration sites.
However, the facilitators of the project are of the view that the NSPFS phase was more viable than the NPFS. According to them, more farmers benefitted from the loan and they were more motivated.
The NPFS Objectives as outlined by Onugha (2008) are to:
🗌    improve household food security and incomes through increases in agricultural productivity, diversification and sustainable use of natural resources;
🗌    enhance food security of consumers through improved availability of and access to a variety of foods;
🗌    increase income of producers through value-added primary processing and more efficient marketing;
🗌    enhance farmers and consumers access to support services such as extension, credit, nutrition and health education; and
🗌    foster the participation of the poorer section of the rural population including women, youths and other vulnerable groups in the development of the community.