FG Urged To Fund Farmers’ Cooperatives

The funding of Farmers’ Co’operatives Society, should be made statutory responsibility of the three tiers of government to boost the agriculture sector, a farmer, Chief Nwogwugwu Uzoma, has suggested.
Uzoma, who is the President, Abia State Farmers’ Cooperative Union Ltd, made in her interview.

He said that a well established farmers’ cooperatives was a potent tool the government could deploy in the implementation of its agricultural policies and programmes, geared towards increased food production.

‘’Farmers’ cooperatives can be used by the government to translate its programmes into reality,’’ he said, adding that the body could be used to identify genuine farmers in their respective areas.
Uzoma called for a review of the existing laws guiding co-operative societies in the country in order to make them more functional.

The cooperative union president also stressed the need for government to carry out a census of genuine farmers in the country.

He also appealed to the government to organise seminars on fund management and bookkeeping for registered cooperative members.

He said that agriculture could help the government to tackle the problem of poverty and youth unemployment, adding that it could also be harnessed to create wealth in the country.

Uzoma said that Abia co-operative union, which was inaugurated on October 29, 2014, had 259,000 members, and owned a micro-finance bank that helped its members with facility.