While agriculture remains central to Nigeria’s economy, its performance has lagged. The relatively low rate of agricultural productivity is caused by many factors, including poor seeds and fertiliser supply. Micro Reforms for African Agribusiness in Nigeria (MIRA-NIGERIA), in collaboration with Nigeria Agricultural Business Group (NABG) and other stakeholders, is taking steps to strengthen public-private implementation partnerships to improve food production. DANIEL ESSIET reports.
Life is improving for many farmers in Bauchi State and other parts of the North due to private efforts supporting local agriculture by the Nigeria Agricultural Business Group and other organisations. The establishment of new food processing businesses and farming ventures in the region has forged new pathways for rural families to stay on the farm, attracting new producers to farming and food-related businesses. It has also brought about a new appreciation for rural production and entrepreneurship among food companies, large and small.
But the situation has changed in the last three years. This followed the insurgency in the North-east, where farmers are unable to cultivate their land. The threat forced them to abandon their fields. In most cases, the insurgents destroyed infrastructure, increasing the suffering of the people.
The hike in fuel, fertiliser and labour prices, occasioned by Boko Haram attacks, didn’t help the situation. The situation was pretty chaotic with all crops. Significantly, the overwhelming insecurity broke the supply chain and farmers couldn’t overcome the perils and costs of cultivating in a conflict zone.
Other problems were input, such as seeds, and then there is the issue of transport and distribution.
Lamenting the situation, the Coordinator, Nigeria Agricultural Business Group (NABG), Mr Emmanuel Ijewere, said farmers in the North are facing a big challenge of having to transport their products over roads that have become battlegrounds.
Addressing a stakeholder’s consultative workshop on Micro Reforms for African Business in Nigeria (MIRA) in Lagos, Emmanuel Ijewere said tackling insecurity in the Northeast has become a critical issue for the government if it is to help frightened farmers willing to step up output to boost food production in the midst of increasing security threat.
Calling on the government to boost security to help farmers keep their lands in production and prevent the situation from deteriorating, Ijewere added that food markets and distribution systems have been severely disrupted.
With targeted support and favourable policy conditions, he expressed hope that farmers could increase their productivity and contribute to hunger and poverty reduction goals. He stressed that improved government’s investment in smallholder farming, will result in increased agricultural productivity and output.
In the era of planned development, Ijewere wanted commercial banks to play an active role in the agric development process rather than being a passive agent for providing financial services.
For him, Nigeria provides huge opportunities for food supply chain stakeholders.
To this end, he said NABG is partnering with MIRA to support government to make and implement policies that will help farmers improve yields and increase profitability.
On security of input meant for farmers, the Director, Farm Input Support Service, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Jatto Ohiare said the government was making efforts to address security challenges by providing escorts to accompany farm input to farm locations in threatened areas.
The National Coordinator, MIRA-Nigeria, Dr. Tony Bello, noted that some of the challenges the farmers were facing include poor access to capital, poor infrastructure, inadequate market structure and low levels of public investment – all exacerbated by ineffective policy making and implementation.
Faced with these challenges, he stressed that improving policy-making is imperative.
He maintained that the purpose of MIRA is to promote policy formulation that will transform agriculture to a ‘productive, high-value, market-orientated’ sector through a number of interlinked interventions and policy reforms. These, he listed, to include the intensification of crop production, the organisation of farmers into cooperatives, and facilitating access to inputs.
Consequently, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has formed new implementation partnership platform with NABG, Seed Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN) and Fertiliser Suppliers of Nigeria (FEPSAN) on micro reforms, especially for smallholder agribusinesses in Nigeria.
Bello said AGRA is committing $700,000 to Micro Reforms for African Agribusiness in Nigeria, an initiative that will boost the operational position of small farmers in business.
Bello said by working with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, NABG and others, AGRA could help facilitate micro reforms for agribusi-nesses as it affects smallholder farmers in the country.
Former Head of Agric Finance Department, FirstBank, Ernest Ndubuisi Ihedigbo, stressed the need for the government to promote an integrated approach towards addressing constraints on the agricultural extension system.
On financing agriculture, he said the nation has a robust finance system that is positioned to support the financing of smallholder enterprises.
The Executive Secretary, Seed Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN), Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, restated the commitment of the association’s members to continue to support the current drive towards boosting agriculture in the country.
He assured that the association’s members were capable of producing seeds to meet national needs, thereby guaranteeing food security in Nigeria.
He reiterated readiness to support reformed policies and regulations to local and international private sector investors in order to create awareness about improved business enabling environment in seed production and supply.
Executive Secretary, Fertiliser Suppliers Association of Nigeria, (FEPSAN), Alhaji Ahmed Rabiu Kwa said there are efforts to promote better access of small farmers to fertiliser.
Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing at TAK Agro & Chemicals Limited, Gideon Negedu, said better access to credit, for smallholder farmers, could bring about a revolution in agriculture.
Among others issues, the workshop urged the government to strengthen cooperatives as a vehicle to extend credit to farmer groups.
The workshop recommended the creation of an efficient system of agricultural finance and the development of a sound co-operative credit structure.
The workshop recommended the establishment of a private sector driven agric bank to meet agricultural credit needs. Several speakers during the forum focused on improving agriculture financing, promoting sustainable and equitable agriculture and rural prosperity through effective credit support, related services, institution development and other innovative initiatives.
Source: The Nation
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