- Sets boost for commodity production in Plateau
BY EDMOND ODOK – To further advance its flourishing intervention in Nigeria’s agricultural sector for enhanced food security and stability, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has flagged off the Nigerian Brown Revolution aimed at boosting the wheat value chain under the Anchor Borrower Scheme (ABP).
CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele said the intervention programme became imperative given the disturbing fact that wheat is the second-highest contributor to the country’s food import bill.
Speaking at the CBN ABP Wheat Seed Multiplication Farm, located at Kwall in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, Emefiele said despite being the third most widely consumed grain, after maize and rice, Nigeria only produces about one per cent (63,000 metric tons) of the 5-6 million metric tons of wheat that the country requires annually.
Emefiele, represented by the Deputy Governor, Edward Adamu, noted that the enormous demand-supply gap is regrettably being bridged with over $2 billion spent annually on wheat importation, adding that with the growth rate of Nigeria’s population and demographic structure, the demand for wheat is projected to rise progressively, thereby putting pressure on the country’s reserves unless deliberate and decisive steps are taken to grow and produce wheat locally on a large scale.
According to the CBN governor; “Over the years, the availability of low-yielding seeds variety locally and poor agronomic practices have hampered successful cultivation of wheat in Nigeria, leading to low productivity, making wheat production unappealing to farmers and unattractive for private sector investment and in order to change the situation and leverage domestic production to bridge the demand-supply gap in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria has decided to add wheat to the list of focal commodities to be supported under the Bank’s agricultural intervention programmes.
“Improved seeds varieties are the bedrock of any crop production process. We have made some progress in this regard with the acquisition of high-yielding varieties from Mexico with a potential average yield per hectare of 5-7 metric tons as against a range of 0.8-1.8 metric tons yield per hectare of those varieties previously cultivated.
“The two-pronged approach of seed multiplication and grains production which we have adopted is expected to sustain the propagation of seeds and guarantee the availability of high-yielding seeds to farmers. Our strategy for the wheat value chain involves, ensuring the availability of high-yield seeds by financing seed multiplication and establishment of seed ripple centre, expanding land under cultivation for wheat to a capacity that can meet total national demand through association and collaboration with relevant federal agencies and state governments, pursuing strategic collaboration with key stakeholders in the wheat value chain for sustained local production.”
He further said; “This strategy seeks to reduce wheat importation by 60% in two years and ultimately eliminate wheat importation or reduce it to an insignificant contributor to the country’s total food import bill.”
In his goodwill message at the ceremony, President Muhammadu Buhari noted that coming with the 2021/2022 dry farming season just commencing, the programme’s flag off is significant because “food security cannot be attained if farmers are not encouraged and adequately equipped with access to the best inputs and opportunities to learn effective agronomic practices for improved yield.”
The President said; “As a country, Nigeria has relied on the proceeds of oil exports for so long. However, with the volatility of oil prices, and its implications on our foreign reserves, we have no other choice but to work towards the diversification of the Nigerian economy by investing in other productive sectors of the economy.
“The Agricultural sector is one of the critical non-oil sectors which has made significant contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) accounting for a 22.35 and 23.78 per cent contribution to the overall GDP in the first and second quarters of 2021 respectively.”
Represented by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, President Buhari stated that; “It was also instrumental in supporting the emergence of our economy from the recession in the 2nd half of 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring food security means ensuring availability and access across all demographics in the country…
“The Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP), managed by the Central Bank of Nigeria is one of such mechanisms. It is designed to ensure that farmers are guaranteed a ready market for their output and also facilitates finance for players in the next step of the value chain, the millers, to produce. … Nigeria is on the path to actualizing sustainability in the production of rice, maize, cassava, soybean, groundnut, oil palm, cocoa, and we are gathered here today because of a breakthrough in wheat cultivation in Nigeria. Through the various efforts of this administration in the Agric value chain, we expect a bountiful harvest in commodities like maize.
“It is important to stress that Nigeria currently spends over $2 billion on the importation of wheat annually. Wheat cultivation, similar to rice has the capacity to thrive in Nigeria due to the tropical climatic conditions. Currently, wheat is cultivated in many Northern states particularly in the dry season due to the high heat tolerance of the seed utilized by farmers.”
On the need to explore other states’ viability in embracing the programme, President Buhari said; “Research also shows that it can be cultivated in other Plateaus in the country, namely, Gembu Plateau in Taraba State and Obudu Plateau in Cross River State.
“I urge these other states to take advantage of this opportunity and key into the initiative.”
