Segun Atho is the National Vice President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN). In this interview with Charles Okonji, the Lagos-based farmer who went into agriculture due to his inability to secure a white-collar job, looks back with joy 20 years later having made fame and fortune, thanks to rice farming. Excerpts:
Why did you venture into agriculture?
When I left school, I discovered that getting a job was not forthcoming, then, I decided to develop another pattern of life by way of developing passion for agriculture. Then I started working towards it and I also started mobilising people in the area of specialisation, and we formed an association known as Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria in 1999 immediately President Olusegun Obasanjo came to power when he mobilised farmers in the country where each community would have an area of interest. That was how I eventually ended up in cultivating rice, as long as it is a staple crop consumed by everyone all over the world. For about 20 years now, I have been in rice growing business in Nigeria. Rice is one of the most profitable businesses anyone can venture into and have no regret.
What are the challenges you experienced?
In Nigeria, we have over 95 million hectares of land, but only about 7 million hectares have just been used in the area of rice cultivation, and Nigeria needs about 6 – 7 million metric tons of rice to feed herself and ultimately for export. So that is why we have been striving to see that we get there. We are also facing the challenges of mechanisation. We need more machines and equipment such as tractors, planters, harvesters for cultivation in the up-land areas.
In the area of clearing, we do not have big machine that can clear our bushes for cultivation. So, if the government can help in this area of provision of machineries and other equipment, the sky would be our limit in this country in the area of rice cultivation.
Seed is another challenge. We need viable seedlings that can produce more. We also need chemicals and insecticides to check rodents, insect and others that render havoc to the plant.
We also want government to assist farmers in the area of climatic change, for us to be able to predict when there would be rain or not.
Again, the government is not doing enough to support the farmers, not only the state government; the federal government is also inclusive. The Lagos State farmers needs the support of the state government, because we have land in Epe, Ikorodu, Bardagry, and part of Ibeju Lekki, if the state government can give up these lands for agriculture, at least feeding ourselves in Lagos State will be guaranteed.
For now, we can’t compare ourselves with countries like United Arabs Emirates and Netherlands, but if we have the political Will, at least we can measure up to their standard. There is no area in this country that you cannot grow a particular crop, let us go into operation feed your state, and see if we will not have more than enough food in each states and in the country at large.
What is your experience with financing?
We have discovered that it is not every bank that is ready to give loan to farmers, they prefer giving loans to the oil and gas sector operators and those that are into properties development. But when you talk about agriculture, they will tell you that it is not a serious business, and that it is not viable.
Is the CBN Anchor Borrowers scheme spreading well enough among the geo-political zone?
Yes, people are aware of this scheme, we called it Anchor Borrowers Program. But we have our own model within this scheme. In our own model, we will provide you with all the inputs needed for farming, but no cash. We have tractors of our own and we will be distributing all the inputs to all our members this week.
How can an individual take the advantage of this programme?
You have to organise yourselves into groups before you can benefit from this scheme, then, you will write to the CBN indicating interest in participating in the borrowers scheme. Then, if you will like to come through our rice farmers association, you can benefit from the Anchor Borrowers Program. All what it will take you is to be captured, and after which we will map your land to know the size of your land, then you will start as a small holder farmer. Your contribution as a small holder farmer starts from 0.5 hectare to the maximum of 5 hectare. Our association has solved the problem of land by going to some villages and negotiating with the heads of these villages, and we signed memorandum of understanding with them, to lease the lands for like at least, a period of 10 years.
Under the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, there are people we called the “Off Takers”. We entered into arrangement with all rice processors in the country as our Off-Takers. We signed an agreement with them in the presence of Mr. President in Also Rock Abuja. We signed an agreement with Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), and Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), that whatever rice we are producing as an association, they are there on standby to off take everything. We also got some banks which have opened zero-account for all the farmers in our association that produce rice. If you produce rice as a member of this association, your rice will be off-taken by RIPAN, and because it is a loan, the loan will be deducted and your balance will be paid into your account. We are working with Bank of Agriculture and Unity Bank all over the country. So, off-taking of our products isn’t a problem in our association.
Can we really feed the nation?
Yes we can, Nigeria can feed herself if we harness all our potentials. Look at Lagos state for instance, they don’t have interest in agriculture, they have never captured it in their budget. All what it focuses on is the infrastructural development, but they have forgotten that they ought to invest also in structural development.
We are blessed with vast land all across the country, looking at the northern and the southern parts of Nigeria. The land in the northern part is already developed for agricultural purposes, but here in the East and West, we have a little constrain, such as erosion, which is seriously devastating the East, while in the West, we are being confronted with the problem of thick forest which needed to be removed using bulldozer. Without removing this thick forest, tractors cannot come in to work on this land. The major problem facing agriculture development in the West is land development, because removing this thick forest will consume lots of money, but if the government can take pains in removing this thick forest, the same way they took pains in constructing roads, everybody will develop interest in agriculture, government should not only provide enable environment, they should also give their full support to the farmers.
We thank God for this current administration under President Muhammadu Buhari. We have a model called the River model which works in collaboration, with the Central Bank of Nigeria, which does not give cash but will provide all the inputs that are need to farmers. This week, we are going to distribute all the inputs. We have tractors available, so we are not going to hire tractors. But the main problem facing us now as farmers is how we are going to remove this thick forest so that the tractors can come in to work on the land, so that the farmers can commence planting. We are grateful to the government for providing us with these different inputs, but we are seeking their help in the area of clearing this thick forest, because food shortage and food insecurity cannot be tackled without removing this thick forest from the path of the farmers.
The population of this country is around 200million, and Lagos State is about 25 to 30 million, and Lagosian consumes 60% of what is being produced in the country that is why Lagos State is being tagged “the consuming state.” But I believe that Lagos State can produce food for her citizens. They can also support farmers because Lagos State has everything needed to develop farmers through their agricultural arrangement. Lagos State is a cosmopolitan city compare to any other cities in the world. So if we say we are going to depend on other states to produce our food, we are going to run into food shortage and insecurity, but if each of the states in the country can produce their food, there will be food security in the country.
Lagos State has 114,000 farm lands suitable for agriculture, and we haven’t even used up to 20% of this land. But the mistake all of us are making is that we are selling off these lands to build houses.
Do you as an association engage the government on how to proffer solutions to the problems on ground?
Yes we do whenever the opportunity arises, but also what is the function of SON and NAFDAC? They need to go out there to meet these farmers in their farms, instead of sitting down in their offices waiting for people to come and meet them there. These organisations must have field officers who will need to go and meet the farmers in their farms, educate them on all what is expected of them before their products can become exportable, and teach them on international best practices.
Products are not just export out of the country which many of our local farmers are ignorant of our products must meet up with some certain standards before they can allow for exportation. So the field officers from organisations like SON and NAFDAC should teach these farmers on the requirements. Even right now on the farm, we have shortage of extension officers, government needs to employ more graduates of agriculture so that they can go all round the field, meet with farmers, educate them on how to apply fertilizers and chemicals. These are the things adopted in the foreign countries and they are doing well.
