Some of the roles/duties performed by the government in Agricultural development are as follows:
1) Provision Of Financial Assistance
The federal Government, through it’s various agencies has helped in the form of loans, credit and subsides.
Agencies like Nigerian Agricultural and Co-operative Banks (NACB), Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (A.C.G.S) and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) were establish to give loans to farmers.
The government also direct commercial banks to give Loans to farmers in order to boost their production.
2. Establishment of Agricultural Programmes with the aim of boosting greater production of crops and livestock.
Such programme’s include:
1) Agricultural Loan Scheme.
2) River Basin Development Authority (R.B.D.A).
3) National Agricultural Insurances Scheme (N.A.I.S).
4) Green Revolution.
5) National Agricultural Land Development Agency (N.A.L.D.A).
6) Operation Feed the Nation (OFN).
7) Agricultural Development Projects (ADP).
8) Directorate of Food, Road and Rural Infrastructure (D.F.R.R.I).
9) National Accelerated Food Production Programme (N.A.F.P.P).
10) National Accelerated Industrial Crop Production Programme (N.A.I.C.P.P).
11) Agro service centres.
12) Farm settlement scheme.
13) Co-operative farming.
AIMS OF AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMMES
1) Agricultural Loan Scheme to provide soft loans to farmers.
2) River Basin Development Authorities: The programme was set up by the government between 1979 and 1983. The Aims Are:
i. To provide irrigation facilities through construction of dams for all year round agricultural production.
ii. To provide portable water to the rural people foe increased Agricultural production.
iii. Construction of feeder roads to project sites for good transportation.
iv. To improve rural infrastructural general, thus reducing migration.
3. National Agricultural Insurance Scheme:
i. To provide security against risks, uncertainties and hazards in Agriculture for farmers.
4. Green Revolution: Was set up by federal Government between 1979 & 1983. Their Aims Is:
i. To encourage large scale farming.
ii. To establish River Basin Authority to boost the supply of water for irrigation purposes.
iii. To produce abundant food crops for local consumption.
iv. To produce cash crops for Export purposes.
5. The Farm Settlement Scheme (FSS): The farm settlement scheme was established in 1959 by the Western Region Government of Nigeria. The Aims were:
i. To stimulate small rural farmers to increase their productivity and improve their standard of living.
ii. To Develop a modern-farming system in order to attract the young and educated people into farming.
iii. To induce rural development thereby halting the drift to urban areas.
iv. To check the land tenure system.
v. To alleviate unemployment or provide job for the teaming population.
6. Agricultural Development Project (ADP): Their Aims Were:
i. It helps in supporting farmers to increase agricultural production.
ii. It makes for the provision of rural infrastructure, like roads, schools, health services, rural electrification among others.
iii. It also helps in the provision of clean drinking water.
iv. It assists in the supply of modern farm inputs such as chemical, seeds and fertilizers.
v. The programme makes provision for facilities for mechanised agriculture.
vi. It increases the level of extension contact with farmers.