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Flags off agric season, boosts farmers’ inputs
BY COBHAM NSA – With eyes on boosting this year’s harvest season substantially, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has challenged all stakeholders in its Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) to sustain current efforts at galvanizing agricultural production to meet the requirements of Nigeria’s growing population.
The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele said being naturally blessed to meet her food requirement, Nigeria has no reasons to persistently repeat mistakes of the past by neglecting the agriculture sector.
This is as the apex bank commenced input distribution to farmers across the country while flagging-off the 2020 wet season harvest aggregation and 2020 dry season in conjunction with Rice Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Zauro, Kebbi State.
Emefiele said; “The rhetoric around neglect of previous years will remain part of our history and the best time to correct those mistakes is now and every stakeholder must contribute their quota to guarantee the realization of these national targets.
“COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns globally have shown that nations only export out of their reserves. Let us start building our own reserves now.”
Arranged as part of activities marking the ABP’s fifth anniversary, the flag-off is coming barely three months after the CBN displayed sky-high pyramids in Minna, Niger State, to highlight its intervention in the maize value chain, and also showcased pyramids of rice harvests brought in by farmers across the state.
The CBN boss described the ABP as an essential part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s drive for economic diversification, noting that the programme has not only improved the fortunes of rural farmers, but is fast transforming and repositioning the nation’s agriculture potential for as a viable economic capital.
He said the ABP has recorded huge successes, learning points and challenges in the past five years, adding that from inception till date, a total of 2,923,937 farmers cultivating 3,647,643 hectares across 21 commodities through 23 participating financial institutions have enjoyed funding across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to him, under the 2020 wet season CBN-RIFAN partnership; “The North-West zone with 85,261 farmers that cultivated 120,218 hectares represented 38.5 per cent in total number of farmers and 54.3 per cent in total number of hectares financed”, adding that the huge pyramids launched in Kebbi were harvests from various fields across the State and further confirms the ABP’s positive outlook in the country.
Emefiele said the synergy between the CBN, Kebbi State Government and RIFAN is meant to deliberately complement the Federal Government’s Economic Sustainability Plan (EGP), and lauded the President’s approval to resuscitate the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX).
He said given the government’s bold move as well as CBN’s commitment of N50 billion and resolve by other Stakeholders, a vibrant commodity exchange would enhance post-harvest handling and guarantee effective pricing for farmers.
Similarly, aside minimising the adverse effect of middle men, it would ultimately transfer the gains from primary production to other nodes of the value chain.
On the need for all beneficiaries to embrace loan repayment culture to sustain the programme, Emefiele said the CBN is constantly engaging the farmers to enhance their trust in the system; provide a competitive price arrangement; and facilitate effective market linkages for their outputs.
He said in order to further create value and transfer the gains along the value chain, the CBN also maps miller to off-take the paddies and track the release of outputs to the market while striving to manage inflation and grow the rice value chain in Nigeria.
The apex bank chief expressed confidence that Nigeria has the capacity to achieve food self-sufficiency within the shortest possible time, stressing that the target by the CBN and RIFAN partnership is to cultivate one million hectares of rice farms; representing over 350 per cent increase from the 221,450 cultivated in 2020.
Furthermore, the collaboration is eyeing an ambitious two cycles of production in the dry season that will activate constant drop in the price of rice nationwide.
Addressing stakeholders at the event, Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, praised the CBN Governor and his team for the unique initiatives.
The governor said the initiative has not only brought succour to the country in terms of food security and diversification, but also effectively aided the country’s exit from recession in two quick progressions.
In his remarks, Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, (NGF) and Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, extolled the CBN for thinking outside the orthodox paradigm of growing GDP only.
For the President, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Alhaji Aminu Goronyo, all thanks to President Buhari’s vision, Nigeria is on the path of self-sufficiency by producing what she eats and eating what she produces.
Goronyo said by its numerous interventions, the CBN has proven agricultural revolution is feasible by being resolute in pursuit of this vision.
