The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Farmers

  • Jigawa farmers get goats, water pumps

    The Community-Based Agriculture and Rural Development Programme (CBADP) has distributed goats and water pumps to 65 farmers in Guri Local Government of Jigawa State.

    The programme, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is designed to encourage agriculture and infrastructure development.

    It is also to reduce poverty and provide means of livelihood to rural dwellers.

    IFAD’s Communication Officer, Mallam Adamu Isa, said this at the distribution of the items to Abunabo and Matara-Babba farmers’groups.

    He explained that 20 water pump machines, 30 tube wells and 10 work bulls were given to irrigation farmers.

    Also, 20 goats and 60 sheep were distributed to women groups to enable them to engage in livestock production.

    He added that several sets of assorted fishing kit were also provided to fishermen to encourage fishery.

    Isa said the gesture was to support farmers and improve the socio-economic wellbeing of farming communities.

    “The items were given to the farmers under a soft loan revolving scheme,’’ Isa said.

    He urged them to ensure the effective use of the items, to promote participation in the programme.

     

  • Govt to empower 120,000 farmers

    the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) programme of the Federal Government is expected to empower 120, 000 farmers in Ebonyi State.

    This represents a 50 percent increase from last year which reached over 60, 000 farmers in the state.

    The state director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Anselm Opara, said this in Abakaliki, the state capital.

    He said poultry and fishing activities would be included in this year’s programme

    “This would be a deviation from the normal practice of providing farm inputs such as fertilisers and seedlings to farmers, as it is aimed at boosting agriculture generally in the state.

    “The farmers who would be involved in this programme have been captured in our data base, as we would ensure that all network problems associated with the Electronic Wallet (GSM) system, are

    solved”.

    He said the programme would avail farmers the opportunity of using the ‘offline redemption system’ which will enable them redeem their inputs without the GSM method.

    The state director noted that farmers who have identity cards which are captured in the database would be allowed to access farm inputs to ensure that the programme achieves its goals.

    “I commend local government areas in the state that provided warehouses and security for farm inputs”, he said,noting that the programmme was a collaborative one between the Federal and state governments.

    He noted that 1, 100 farmers in the state who are presently participating in the dry season farming, have been provided with irrigation pumps and farm inputs.

    The director said that not all the farmers are involved in the practice but only those who have farms along the Ebonyi River which transverse the whole local government areas of the state.

    Opara advised the people to be genuinely involved in agriculturebecause of its benefits to the people and economy.

  • A Business School for farmers

    A Business School for farmers

    Ever heard of a Farmers Business School? Daniel Essiet reports that the institution holds the key to bridging the knowledge gap among small-scale farmers to make them productive.

    At last, succour has come to small-scale farmers. Many of them who are grappling with challenges, such as low yields, natural resources degradation, and lack of access to resources, can attend the Farmers Business School to hone their skills.

    Essentially, the intervention is aimed at training the small-scale farmers to enable them adapt to the dynamics of farming.

    States, such as Ondo, Abia, Edo, Ekiti, Osun and Cross River, have about 70 per cent of rural farmers.

    In these states, vast lands are set aside to produce major crops on the farm.Regrettably, many of them lack the financial muscle, technical knowledge and skills to use the opportunities offered by expanding markets to boost their income and increase the diversity of crops cultivated.

    The implication is that many farm owners earn very little, as there are many obstacles hindering a shift towards better or more efficient food systems.

    Some of the major constraints to increased production, according to the farmers and experts, include diseases and inadequate supplies of feed resources. However, the Technical Advisor, Sustainable Cocoa Business, German International Cooperation (GIZ), Ayo Akinola, notes that while this may be true in some circumstances, most farmers are cut off from access to training and so, lack knowledge of the techniques that would help them maximise their incomes.

    He believes that if small farmers are made to improve their practices, given access to better-quality seeds, training and fertilisers, they could significantly increase their yields.

    This is where Farmers Business Schools comes in to give farmers practical knowledge. For Akinola, there is no better way to strengthen agriculture and farmers in the rural areas than by investing in human capacity that sustains it.

    He said it was because of this that GIZ began the Farmers Business Schools (FBSs) to empower farmers. According to him, the main objective of the FBS is to develop farmers’ skills in record keeping. This, he explained, would have an impact on productivity and livelihoods of farmers.

    Using the FBS approach, farmers would adapt technologies and try out new ideas. Each FBS needs a facilitator to lead the exercises. Akinola said farmers learn how they can plan the production of cocoa and foods, what costs and income increases are associated with improved cultivation techniques, and how they can increase their harvest yields and incomes by means of targeted investment.

    GIZ, he said, envisages that 200,000 small-scale cocoa farmers in Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d‘Ivoire, Liberia and Cameroon would double their income within 10 years using FBS. In cooperation with local partners, the project has developed the FBS’ training programme to strengthen skills. More than 440 trainers and supervisors have been trained to organise the FBS programme. Many Agriculture Development Programme (ADP) officers have become trainers after the programme. Trainers organise regular training according to the felt demand.

    Since March 2010, they have trained over 110,000 farmers, a quarter of who are women. They work with national and local partners, such as agricultural extension departments, civil society organisations and farming communities.

    Akinola said worldwide, the promotion of farmers business schools is a step towards food sovereignty. At the heart of the programme is a global knowledge and experience community of organisations working at various levels with millions of farmers worldwide.

    He said the agency is ready to work with state governments, communities and donors to propagate FBS approaches to help increase production, reduce poverty and strengthen farming communities.

    Working with local and national institutions is one way of scaling up the project and ensuring that more farmers are involved and also benefit from it. GIZ has trained local extension workers –mostly from the government.

    Some farmers, who have completed the programme, confirmed that their production have improved. Depending on the country, between 38 and 62 per cent of the farmers have opened bank accounts to save for loans. They are planning their production and monitoring their income and expenditures, as well as using farm input, staff and revenues.

    Altogether about 99 per cent of the farmers are investing on improved cultivation technology for fruit or cocoa and have increased their yields and income, a result confirmed by World Cocoa Federation (WCF) studies.

    Also, between 31 and 76 per cent of farmers, who have completed training, have joined a farmers’ organisation. According to the WCF, the average income of FBS farms from non-cocoa products is $230 higher in 2012 than at the beginning of the project in 2010. The increase in income in the five countries is about $22million.

    Akinola said extension of farming practices through FBS have been effective. According to him, it has ensured that farmers have access to information, techniques, institutions and the means to experiment with new techniques.

    At the same time, gender-mainstreaming have enhanced their position and emancipation.

    FBS gives farmers opportunity to interact with practical skills, resulting in increase in their knowledge. Farmers also understand that there are some agro-ecological relationships within an environment and what they practise can have an effect on such relationships.

    With enhanced knowledge garnered through FBS, farmers are managing their farms. The success is spreading. Farmers, who did not participate in the FBS, too, are learning from those who are more knowledgeable.

    The Chief Executive, Cocoa Initiative, Mr. Robo Adhuze, confirmed to The Nation that FBS have shown many results. For instance, it has helped to rebuild farmers’capacities to select seeds and breed new varieties, resulting in farmers valuing and enhancing the (agro)biodiversity of their areas.

    It is also envisaged that the empowerment of farmers through FBS would help to develop the agricultural sector. The aim of the programme is to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers.

    During the training, farmers share their perspectives on the varieties that they use, those that have been lost, and those that they want to plant. As part of the curriculum, farmers get to experience the whole planting cycle using the basic planting methods. Also, farmers learn to choose good seeds to restore a variety of seeds whose purity and quality has deteriorated.

     

  • Don’t plant with first rainfall, farmers advised

    A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Michael Uguru, has advised farmers not to rush into planting crops following Wednesday’s first rain in the hinterlands.

    He gave the advice in Nsukka in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the new planting season.

    He said farmers who wanted to start planting following the rainfall must ensure that they stored water on their farms that they would use to water crops if the rains did not continue.

    “I advise farmers not to rush into farming as a result of the first rain, especially in the hinterland because no one knows if it will continue to rain to avoid their crops being roasted by the sun.

    “But if a farmer has enough water stored in his farm, he can plant and if the rain did not continue he will use stored water to water the crops,’’ he said.

    He said in the past years some farmers had recorded big losses as result of rushing to plant without waiting for the proper beginning of the rainy season.

    “Farmers should know the world is experiencing climate change which made it difficult most time to predict the weather.

    “It’s better to wait for the rains to come down very well than risking roasting your crops,’’ he said.

    Meanwhile, some farmers in Nsukka, Enugu State, have said they went to plant crops after this year’s first heavy rain in the town on Wednesday.

    A farmer, Mr James Urama, said after the rain, he went to plant cassava and maize in his farm the next day.

    “That rain was heavy and I know it penetrated into the soil.

    “I know the rain will continue if it does not, I have stored water in my farm that I will use to water my crops,’’ he said.

    Another, Mrs Patricia Ozioko, said she planted only maize on her farm and would wait for another rain before planting cassava and yam.

    “As soon as the next rain falls, I will then plant cassava and yam in my farm.

    “With that first heavy rain, I believe the maize will grow without much problem,’’ she said.

     

  • Ministry, others to support Plateau poultry farmers

    The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) over the weekend pledged to support Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Plateau chapter.

    The organisations pledged support in Jos, at the inauguration of the association’s new office complex at Dadin-Kowa, in Jos South Local Government Area.

    Mr Daniel Kakwi, the Director, Plateau Green House of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said that the ministry had empowered 100 poultry farmers under its Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) in the state.

    Kakwi, represented by Dr Steven Dowoh, Assistant Director (Vet), said that the farmers were given birds, feeds and drugs at subsidised rates.

    He assured the PAN that they would continue to get more of such support from the ministry.

    “The Federal Government is interested in doing business with associations because individuals have failed government.

    “Most times when they (individuals) collect loans, to pay back so that it keeps revolving becomes a problem.

    “But for an association, if one person is not there, the other will and that has encouraged government to do business with them,” he said.

    The director said that forms for the Growth Enhancement Scheme in poultry were available and urged farmers to make use of the opportunity.

    “If you are interested, you can pick an expression of interest form from our office for participation in the Growth Enhancement Scheme,” he said.

    Prof. Longmas Wapmuk, ITF Director General, in his remarks, also said that the ITF would never be tired of supporting the farmers in their quest to improve on their performance and productivity.

     

  • Farmers allege fraud in agric programme continues

    Farmers allege fraud in agric programme continues

    In September 2010, the Ministry of Niger Delta Report sent 86 farmers from the Niger Delta to Israel and Port Novo, Republic of Benin for various courses in mechanised farming. Over three years after, beneficiaries were handed cheques of N750,000 each to start their farms. SHOLA O’NEIL reports that rather than be impressed by the gesture, the farmers say they are short-changed.

    The mood at Ishaka Hotel, Effurun, Delta State a fortnight ago was a very happy one. The trainees were bubbling and looking forward to start or improve their new farms. The day took over three years to come, but there were no complaints, as according to one of the beneficiaries from Bayelsa state: “It is better late than never”. During the time, it was learnt that two of the 86 beneficiaries died.

    But by the end of the event on Saturday, January 18, when the graduands were returning home, the tune was different. Some of the aggrieved trainees, who spoke with Niger Delta Report, were so unimpressed that they called for a probe of the over N840 million allegedly budgeted for the programme.

    Their journey to Ishaka Hotel and dream happy future started sometimes in September 2010 when 86 men and women from across the zone were selected and dispersed to reputable farming settlements in Israel and Republic of Benin to learn how to farm with mechanical equipment. The ‘ambassadors’ were seen as the future of the nation’s agriculture development and key elements in President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda.

    Niger Delta Report learnt that the beneficiaries were trained at Galilee International Institute, Israel and Songhai Integrated Farms, Porto-Novo, Republic of Benin, in many areas of farming, especially in poultry and fishery under the ministry’s skills acquisition training programme.

    One of the beneficiaries said: “In September 2010 we were selected to go for an overseas training by the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Abuja. We were 86 in number; 34 of us were sent to Israel and the rest (52) were sent to Port Novo in Benin Republic. We spent one month learning mechanised and commercial agriculture.”

    Our source said shortly after they returned they were asked to present N5m business plan adding that trouble started brewing when the promised empowerment failed to materialise as soon as they had thought. The paltry N750,000 cheque was therefore the last stroke for the aggrieved trainees.

    “Since three years after undergoing training the officials of the ministry have been playing us like we are fools. Yesterday (Friday, January 17) they organised an empowerment programme in Warri, where we were supposed to get our funds.”

    At the ceremony held at Ishaka Hotel, Effurun, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, disbursed the cheque of N750,000 each to the trainees. Orubebe, who was represented by one of his aides, Mr Sam Osasa, explained that the purpose of the grant, was to make them self-reliant and self-dependable in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    He said, “Let me make a passionate and patriotic appeal to all beneficiaries, that, as pioneer/pilot products, you are expected to make judicious application of the financial empowerment that would be extended to you to justify government’s intention and investment and ensure the continuity and sustainability of the scheme to afford others the opportunity to benefit as well.”

    Speaking in the same vein, the Director in charge of Economic Empowerment Department in the ministry, Mr. Gboyega Olawoyin, said the ministry conceived the scheme to enable the beneficiaries to “become employers of labour and not job seekers.”

    He added: “With wise investment and prudent management of the resources at your disposal, you will go to places.”

    Immediately after the ceremony, a trainee from one of the eastern states hinted of insincerity in the programme. Our source said he and his colleagues suspect that the ministry’s officials were not telling them the whole truth about the programme.

    “All through our stay (in Israel and Benin Republic) we were always at loggerheads with the staff of the ministry over our daily allowance and upkeep. Little did we know that (it) was the beginning of massive lies, deception and corruption from the ministry.

    “The Federal Government budgeted over N900m for this program yet we were treated like animals. The officials made so much money from this program through inflated budget and outright deceit.

    “To our greatest disappointment we were given only N750,000 thereby deliberately short-changing us (of N2.25m). We were threatened not to go to the media to complain.”

    However, independent findings by our reporter revealed that the cheque presented to the beneficiaries in Effurun (Warri) could be the first of several payments as the ministry had promised to provide additional funds for beneficiaries upon satisfactory appraisal of their performance and the use of the initial grant.

    Osasa, who represented Orubebe, said: “As their (beneficiaries) process continues, they all will be evaluated at periodic intervals to ascertain possible areas of assistance to them. It is hoped that these measures would guarantee sustainable livelihood and add value to the human capital development efforts in the Niger Delta in line with the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan administration.”

    In spite of the assurance, the farmers were not impressed. One of those from Bayelsa state hinged their disbelief on the dillydallying and bureaucracy that took over three years for their business plans and feasibility studies to be evaluated before they were paid the N750,000

    “Upon our arrival (in 2010), we were told to write business plans and feasibility study report of N5m for each of our projects. We wrote and submitted. We were shocked that it took years before they could settle us and then only for them to pay us a paltry sum of 750,000 each. How can one engage in mechanised farming with such an amount bearing in mind what we learnt in Israel? Nigeria is struggling to get out of subsistence farming and these officials who should know better are dragging us back to subsistence farming,” he added.

    Besides, the trainees wondered where the funds, which they claimed were budgeted for since 2010 had been kept while they waited to be paid. “Who have been receiving the interests?”

    “Please ask these pertinent questions: Why would the ministry spend so much money to train us abroad only to give us a very poor start-up fund? This should be seen within the context of operating the mechanised form of agriculture as our program schedule stated. What happens to the balance when very close to one billion naira was allocated for this programme? If the crisis is not resolved, we will not release the money.”

    The way things stand now, the last certainly have not been heard of this matter.

     

     

  • ‘Farmers need information’

    ‘Farmers need information’

    Dr. Adekunle Ahmed, team leader of the  mechanisation programme of the Ministry of Agriculture, speaks in this interview with TONY AKOWE, on involving the private sector in agricultural revival, among other issues. Excerpts:

    We have had mechanisation programmes which failed to address the problem in the country’s agriculture sector. What gives you the confidence that the current one will succeed?

    The current mechanisation programme is the first of its kind because it is the first time that a serving minister is being supported by his President to fund a public-private partnership programme to the tune of about N3.6 billion to drive a mechanisation scheme under the private sector framework.

    However, we believe that this will succeed because of the drivers, the commitment and fulfilment of the President to ensure that the agricultural sector is revived. Again, our dynamic minister who is the driver of all the mechanisation programmes is another boost to the scheme.

    This programme is to run under a private sector framework and not the old type that is involved in purchase and supply. This is packaged by a ministerial committee called Advisory Ministerial Mechanisation Committee (AMMC) that was set up by the minister. It comprises people from the private sector, a few people from the ministry, the Central Bank of Nigeria and other development partners like Propcom.

    We gathered information and other models nation-wide to come up with a final report. That is why we believe it will succeed.

    What are the challenges you’ve encountered in trying to drive the scheme?

    Let me rather rephrase it to what challenges we will be experiencing in trying to drive this scheme. As far as I am concerned, the committee set up by the minister has experienced certain challenges which we have put behind us. The minister set up the committee to partner with Bank of Agriculture in order to come up with a model. This has been done. The challenges we envisage in the future are obviously with the beneficiaries. If there is a new government, will it continue with the programme?

    If we succeed and run this programme for three to four years, no government can change it anymore because we will succeed in convincing the private sector which includes the banks and farmers that we can drive this programme without government’s support. That is the target of the minister.

    Government will only roll this programme for a period of time and pull out. That is the responsibility given to me to convince the private sector that this programme is viable and that we can successfully implement it and generate revenue to repay all our indebtedness.

    Now, the beneficiaries are the service providers, not the farmers. Are they really ready for this? Do they have the capacity to do it and not think that it is business as usual?

    You know that we Nigerians have this mentality that everything in Nigeria is meant to be grabbed by anybody. But unfortunately, this is not like that. I see the challenges coming from the side of the operators who are the off-takers.

    The minister has given us the money. The model has been accepted across the country and the continent has accepted the concept of mechanisation. I was at Africa Rural Credit Association (AFRACA) in Senegal when the Centre for Technological Agriculture requested for the model which they were given. They test-ran it and AFRACA accepted it because it was convinced that this is one of the best models to drive agricultural mechanisation at the grassroots area of the continent.

    So, the model itself is not a problem because money has been made available. Private sector operators have already given a letter of intent to the tune of N20 billion to the scheme.

    So, what we are looking for are people to drive the mechanism and if they come with the mentality of we are in business as practised in the country, then, it will fail. But if they are serious, we are going to build their capacity in terms of engineering, administrative capacity and sustainability. Then the programme will run itself.

    This government has no problem in terms of providing us with enough funds because the model has already been accepted internationally. The banks are changing their mindset about giving us money with which we will use in driving this programme. Are we going to take these tractors and make sure that the template is right? There are other factors too that can make the off-takers to fail like the support of the GES which the minister is talking about. He has provided N1 billion for this. The GES will stimulate the market where the equipment are available and we want that inflow to continue. The minister has already promised that it will continue.

    Most of the farmers in Nigeria are in the rural areas. They can only cultivate one hectare of farmland or less. How are they going to benefit from this mechanisation scheme?

    That is why I told you that it has been adopted by AFRACA which is Africa Rural Credit Association. They are a group of financiers and development agencies like the World Bank, Propcom and Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), among others.

    The scheme provides services to small holder farmers and located in demand-driven areas where there are clusters of farmers with one to two hectares of farmland who are practically handicapped because of the size of their land and system of farming.

    They are the group of farmers you are referring to. We are going to provide the tractors at the centres. They can come and rent the tractors by paying little amount of money. They don’t need to own the tractors.

    You said the scheme is GES-driven and we know that the GES covers certain commodities. What will happen to farmers who are into crops and commodities that are not covered by the GES?

    They will have to get themselves captured by the GES because those are the rules. If you are not captured, you cannot benefit from it. One of the greatest challenges we are experiencing and which is also incapacitating our farmers is lack of records. So, nobody knows where they are. You want to borrow money and nobody knows where you live. Who will give you money like that? We don’t even know the number of farmers we have and if we don’t know the number of farmers in the country, how can we do a budget?

    This is what the minister is working towards and within the next two to three years, we will know the number of farmers we have in the country. So, I will advise that any farmer that has not keyed into the GES should go and do so because if he doesn’t, he will not benefit from all these things.

    Are there any forms of training for the farmers on how to handle these equipment?

    Government, donor agencies and development partners are out there carrying out different types of capacity building. They are training our people on how to use these hitech equipment. If you listen to most of the minister’s speeches, he places a lot of emphasis on youth development and capacity building.

    We intend to develop the scheme we have currently in terms of capacity building. It is a package and we have to drive it first for people to see the benefit before pulling out. We will build their capacity to enable them to manage their money; we will teach them how to manage their technology as well as interaction and marketing. We are doing so.

    Let us talk about breakdown which can lead to missed opportunities. How will these tractors be maintained to serve the farmers better?

    We are discussing with the vendors and manufacturers representatives and bit port folio contractors. We have visited the premises of some of them. They have a mini- institution there that serves as a school. They have spare parts and every other thing.

    Part of the agreement is that for everything, you must have spare parts that will run for a minimum of three to four years. These they have.

    How do you intend to deal with the issue of bureaucracy ?

    We have already dealt with that and we have scaled through this problem. The counterpart funds are with the Bank of Agriculture which will be in charge. It is not any ministry’s responsibility anymore. We have presented the model to the ministry. It has gone through it and has taken all the necessary precautions. Right now, it will be managed purely by the committee and the Bank of Agriculture.

    When do you think Nigerians will start benefiting from this scheme?

    I will say you should give us up to the end of July this year. What we are bringing out now is for dry season farming which will take us up to June/July. But if you want a complete output, give us up to September/October. By the end of February, the minister is going to unveil the total mechanisation package during which we will give out tractors to everybody.

  • Farmers task FG on N4.3 billion cassava bread fund

    Farmers task FG on N4.3 billion cassava bread fund

    Nigeria is said to produce more cassava than any other country in the world. It is the third most important source of calories in the tropics, after rice and maize. Millions of people depend on cassava in Nigeria and Africa in general.

    Cassava is grown by poor farmers, many of them women, often on marginal land. For those people and their families, cassava is vital for both food security and income generation.

    Following in the footsteps of past admin8istrations, especially that of President Olusegun Obasanjo, seeing that cassava not only meet the food security needs of the estimated farmers who grow it, but to provide a key to rural industrial development and higher incomes for producers, processors and traders, this administration came up with cassava transformation program.

    The cassava transformation project seeks to create a new generation of cassava farmers, oriented towards commercial production and farming as a business, and to link them up to reliable demand, either from processors or a guaranteed minimum price scheme of the government.

    The overreaching strategy of the cassava transformation is to turn the cassava sector in Nigeria into a major player in local and international starch, sweeteners, ethanol, HQCF, and dried chips industries by adopting improved production and processing technologies, and organizing producers and processors into efficient value-added chains.

    The cassava processing technology started in the late 50s from the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) with various products and equipment. It is clear that the mandate to process cassava and other crops was solely given to the institute, which they carried out judiciously without dabbling to crop production and other agencies mandates.

    The Federal Government as a way of stimulating increased domestic production and processing of cassava announced plans to cut wheat imports by introducing a new policy compelling cassava flour inclusion in wheat flour.

    Part of the government plan was to impose a levy of 15 % on wheat grain imports, which will increase the effective duty from 5 to 20 %. The gain from the levy was used to establish the Cassava Bread Development Fund.

    This led the Federal Government, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bank of Industry (BoI) for the bank to manage the N4.3 billion cassava bread fund that would support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), master bakers and large industrial cassava flour mills.

  • N1.5 billion loan for Anambra farmers

    N1.5 billion loan for Anambra farmers

    The Anambra State Government said it would start disbursing an additional N1.5 billion loan to farmers in the state within the next two weeks.

    The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Ndubuisi Menakaya, told newsmen in Onitsha that the government obtained part of the money from the Bank of Agriculture (BoA).

    He said the government was encouraged to obtain the loan after evaluating the “huge’’ success of the N1 billion allocated to the state under the N20 billion Commercial Agriculture loan fund provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last year.

    He noted that Governor Peter Obi had concluded arrangements for the loan, adding that it would be disbursed through the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Anambra chapter, with same conditions as the former loan.

    “Anambra State Government, after seeing how successful the past scheme was, we are now partnering with the Bank of Agriculture to raise an additional N1.5 billion that we will give out to Anambra State farmers.

    “And this N1.5 billion loan is also between N25,000 and N5 million (per farmer) with a 9.2 per cent interest rate and 12 months moratorium.

    “This will be a loan directly with the Bank of Agriculture, where Anambra State puts its own money (40 per cent) and the Bank of Agriculture matches it with 60 per cent.

    “This thing will take off within the next two weeks.”

    He continued: “And Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, will recommend Anambra State farmers.

    “Farmers, who are domiciled in Anambra State, it doesn’t have to be an Anambra State indigene. It is a farmer that is domiciled in Anambra State.

    “Down the value chain, that is, all aspects of farming to food processing, to all aspects of agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery, crop production.

    “So, through the value chain, we are going to support them.”

    The loan range between a minimum of N25,000 and a maximum of N5 million, depending on the size of the farmer’s farm and needs.

  • Kwankwaso decries tomato farmers’ inability to meet demand

    Kwankwaso decries tomato farmers’ inability to meet demand

    Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has regretted the inability of Nigeria to meet domestic demand for tomatoes, despite ranking 16th on the World’s Tomatoes production hierarchy. He spoke at the inauguration of the National Tomato Technical Working Group at the Government House in Kano.

    In a statement, signed by the Governor’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Halilu Ibrahim Dantiye, Kwankwaso lamented that the country’s tomato farmers have continued to lose millions of naira due to lack of capacity to process, preserve and market the commodity.

    “Nigeria accounts for about 10.8 per cent of Africa’s and 1.2 per cent of total global tomato production yet, we have not been able to meet domestic demand, and our farmers lose an estimated 45 per cent of their tomato income, amounting to millions of naira, mainly due to the bottleneck and other related issues,’’ Kwankwaso argued.

    According to Kwankwaso what is more painful is the fact that Kano farmers are often the greatest losers because the state remains the highest tomato producing state in the country, with dry season cultivation of over 30, 000 hectares, under the Kano River Irrigation project, covering three local government areas.

    He, therefore, stressed the need for government’s intervention to address the situation, pointing out that several attempts were made by investors, aimed at salvaging the huge losses but could not yield the desired results due to unfavourable conditions.

    As part of measures to improve the productivity of farmers and reduce to the minimum high post-harvest losses suffered by them, Kwankwaso disclosed that his administration will start the Kano Commercial Crops Development Initiative, as well as expand access to several agriculture development finances and establishment of the Kura export processing village.

    In his remarks, CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, expressed confidence that the tomato industry has great potential in contributing to the development of Nigeria’s economy, as the country is the second largest producer of tomato in Africa, pointing out that 50 per cent of tomato produced in the country is lost due to lack of storage, leading to a huge annual import bill on tomato paste to the tune of N16 billion.