By Kunle SHONUGA
The National Association of Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers, said it will begin monitoring the implementation of agricultural budget to enhance accountability, growth and food production in the country.
The National President of the association, Prof Simon Irtwange, said this in Lagos.
He said if all NGOs and associations monitor budget implementation in their sectors, the country would benefit immensely from it.
Irtwange said this while reacting to the N9.12 trillion 2018 appropriation bill which was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on June 20.
“Anywhere we see yam, we will monitor the implementation because if everything that they want to do in the yam value chain is done, the operators in the value chain will be better for it.
“There is an item in the budget that says they want to make a yam mound making machine. It is now our responsibility to keep tab on this project.
“If all NGOs across the country do the same, the level of development will be high,” he said.
He noted that the success of the project would impact positively on job and wealth creation, food production, agro-processing and export business.
TBI Africa recalls that the Federal Government allocated N118.98 billion to agriculture in the 2018 budget, as against the N92 billion it allocated to the sector in 2017.
