The Federal Government has been urged to set aside 10 per cent of the budget for agriculture to ensure food security.

The sector, according to the Deputy Director, Directorate of General Management, Agricultural and Rural Management Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Kwara State, Dr Ademola Adeyemo, is slowly recovering from disrupted farming.

Adeyemo said agriculture is one of the key sectors that have propelled steady and sustainable economic growth. To this end, adequate funding, he said, is needed to help the government follow a clear roadmap for its development.

Past budgets, he said, have not allocated sufficient funds to agriculture, especially in the expansion of infrastructure for growth. Post-Budget analysis revealed that the allocation is not adequate for the boosting of the sector and falls below the international benchmarks. He said key agricultural areas are still underfunded falling short of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) target of allocating 10 per cent of the budget to agricultural sector.

Adeyemo stressed the need to allocate more resources to other key areas such as research and development and provision of extension services and infrastructure. He recognised that several positive measures and pronouncements have been presented in the budget to support agricultural development. He urges the government to ensure that the ideas are backed by implementation.

According to him, sufficient budgetary provisions will translate into a vibrant agricultural sector, raking in revenue into the Government's coffers and providing jobs for Nigerians to contribute effectively towards economic growth.

He urged the government to employ prudent fiscal discipline as a key to ensuring financial sustainability and quality service delivery.

Adeyemo also asked for doubled efforts aimed at using improved seed variety and diversify on-farm activities. These measures, he added, should be supplemented by enhanced extension services.

He called on the government to enhance the use of science and technology in the pursuit of its policy objective of achieving a competitive, diversified and sustainable agricultural sector.