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| Nigeria, Germany partner |
The German Agency for International Cooperation, GIZ
has resolved to help tackle the perennial problems associated with
smallholder farming in Nigeria.
Thomas Kirsch, GIZ Nigeria’s Country Director disclosed this in a chat with Vanguard, adding that his agency has initiated a scheme code-namedThe Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI), which will offer matching grants to no fewer than 122,000 farmers in four African countries, including Nigeria.
Kirsch said,CARI is expected to team up with additional partners to target more farmers, all of whom will be integrated into inclusive business models until 2017.
According to Kirsch, the focus now is on the marketing of locally produced rice, and to continue to support policies that will create the enabling environment for high yield production.He affirmed that the core mechanism for implementing the program is a Matching Grant Fund mechanism focused on supporting core partners to strengthen linkages and build the capacity of the broader value chain actors.
In the Nigerian organisations, where the project, has been implemented, the Country Director said that over 2,000 farmers have been clustered around primary processors, for the production of Garri, Fufu, starch and High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF).He disclosed that 300 lead farmers have been trained in rapid cassava-stem multiplication,thereby providing additional income to the as well as improving access to improved cassava varieties for the general farming community.
”The Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) seeks to improve the livelihoods of at least 122,000 smallholder farmers in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Tanzania by integrating smallholder farmers into competitive and sustainable business models,” Kirsch said.”Three special projects for support to female farmers are also supported in Nigeria and Ghana,”he disclosed further.
”Potato yields of trained farmer groups have increased from 6 to 12 tons per hectare. Potato farmers have received group formation training and have organized themselves to form an association with about 1,500 members to better respond to market demands. 12 storage facilities for potatoes have increased the profitability of potato farming,” he said.
”We are working with a number of Nigerian corporate and individual professionals, commissioned by GIZ as consultants, to build the capacity of partner organizations and small entrepreneurs,” he added. He stated that theSustainable Smallholder Agri-Business Programme commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with co-financing from the European Union and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) is supporting 350,000 male and female smallholders, mainly in the cocoa growing areas of Nigeria,Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and Togo, to sustainably improve their incomes and food supplies from diversified production.Kirsch said approaches are made available to interested programs, companies and organizations in Africa and to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).
Thomas Kirsch, GIZ Nigeria’s Country Director disclosed this in a chat with Vanguard, adding that his agency has initiated a scheme code-namedThe Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI), which will offer matching grants to no fewer than 122,000 farmers in four African countries, including Nigeria.
Kirsch said,CARI is expected to team up with additional partners to target more farmers, all of whom will be integrated into inclusive business models until 2017.
According to Kirsch, the focus now is on the marketing of locally produced rice, and to continue to support policies that will create the enabling environment for high yield production.He affirmed that the core mechanism for implementing the program is a Matching Grant Fund mechanism focused on supporting core partners to strengthen linkages and build the capacity of the broader value chain actors.
In the Nigerian organisations, where the project, has been implemented, the Country Director said that over 2,000 farmers have been clustered around primary processors, for the production of Garri, Fufu, starch and High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF).He disclosed that 300 lead farmers have been trained in rapid cassava-stem multiplication,thereby providing additional income to the as well as improving access to improved cassava varieties for the general farming community.
”The Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) seeks to improve the livelihoods of at least 122,000 smallholder farmers in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Tanzania by integrating smallholder farmers into competitive and sustainable business models,” Kirsch said.”Three special projects for support to female farmers are also supported in Nigeria and Ghana,”he disclosed further.
”Potato yields of trained farmer groups have increased from 6 to 12 tons per hectare. Potato farmers have received group formation training and have organized themselves to form an association with about 1,500 members to better respond to market demands. 12 storage facilities for potatoes have increased the profitability of potato farming,” he said.
”We are working with a number of Nigerian corporate and individual professionals, commissioned by GIZ as consultants, to build the capacity of partner organizations and small entrepreneurs,” he added. He stated that theSustainable Smallholder Agri-Business Programme commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with co-financing from the European Union and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) is supporting 350,000 male and female smallholders, mainly in the cocoa growing areas of Nigeria,Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and Togo, to sustainably improve their incomes and food supplies from diversified production.Kirsch said approaches are made available to interested programs, companies and organizations in Africa and to the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).
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