NACCIMA: stakeholders decry value chain neglects

  *BOA differs on recapitalization

Stake holders at the 1st Annual NACCIMA-NIRSAL Agribusiness & Policy Linkage Conference in Abuja

Participants at the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing for Agriculture Lending (NIRSAL) have pinned down the neglect of agricultural value chains to its present state of non-maximum productivity.

This would be among others what will be presented to the Federal government of Nigeria today as solution to reposition agriculture to a viable business venture just as the Bank of Agriculture has posited that farmers’ saving to own a bank would be more potent to financing farmers than recapitalization in the spirit of finding solution to agriculture financing.

Mrs. Dolapo Osinbanjo and others tour the exhibition stands

 Stakeholders made this known yesterday at the 1^st NACCIMA Annual Agribusiness & Policy Conference comprises of private and public agricultural sectors at Abuja where they brain storm and chatted a way forward on food security that will be handy to assist in the successful implementation of the agricultural component of the economic recovery and growth plan (ERGP) of the Federal Government (FG) using the value chains as the major driver.

Speakers alluded to the disconnect in the agricultural value chains ( from production-processing-marketing) with infrastructure dilapidation, policy somersault, non-farmers’ access to inputs, non-synergy in the collation of available improved seeds varieties data among the research Institutes, poor storage facility for agricultural produce to ensuring freshness and lack of  finance were parts of the identified challenges causing slow progress in the sector. 

Cross Section

The first session anchored by Mr. Osagie Ikekhua of Agricultural Research Council Nigeria (ARCN), Prof. Femi Peter, Nigerian Stored Research Institute and Engr. Isaac Ozumba of ICAM, Ilorin pondered on the poor state of improved technologies connectivity to farmers occasioned by insufficient awareness creation caused by poor funding to Research Institutes as high cost of these inputs were also identified to insufficient commercial multiplication to stem down the price in the markets cum bad state of our roads to link rural farmers even for produce evacuation.

Also improper coordination of the available research technologies which falls on the mandate of ARCN was identified as a way of one stop shop solutions to giving accurate statistics of improved technologies on the shelves of Research Institute in a synchronized manner, but importantly non availability of commercial off takers for multiplication was pinned down to be the bane of high cost of machinery simple tools in Nigeria according to Engr. Ozumba of National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) while he clamored for effective policy to checkmate import.

NACCIMA National President  Iyalode Alaba Lawson in middle holding the Foodfarmnews Publication, with the Publisher Foodfarmnews Ayeni Oladehinde in black and other stakeholders

Prof. Peter decried the high level of neglect to processing, an arm of the value chains saying production end of agriculture was more over crowded without access to processing that can proffer solution to wastages and ensure preservation as all the value chains of the agricultural productivity must not be neglected in our strive to ensure green revolution using agriculture to diversify our economy.

Responding to solution for improved seeds distribution, the president of Seeds Association of Nigeria (SEDAN) lamented on the non-payment of seed inputs supplied to farmers over four years ago saying where would his members get money to ensure sufficient production as he also advocated for payment of their outstanding so as to allow them bounce back into business.

SEDAN President said “pay our outstanding to ensure buy back from farmers. We have enough improved seeds for both dry and wet season. Research Funding needs intervention for breeders and foundation seeds. GES encourages all people into seeds production that led to adulteration”

The voice of farmers led by Hajia Binta from Kano and Vice President of Maize Association Alhaji Abubarka Nuru identified challenges in the sector as harsh environment caused by poor policies on agriculture like land clearing, high cost of farming, politic in anchor borrower, non- accessibility and affordability of inputs, lack of extension and poor financing to farmers thereby asking for the need to recapitalize Bank of Agriculture (BOA) for the purpose of meeting farmers’ need.

However, the position of the Executive Director, BOA Mr. Olubode Abikoye differed on demand for government making provision of fund to commercial banks for onward lending to farmers stressed that farmers should cultivate saving habits that will generate enough money for lending thereby following the banking operation procedure. 

BOA Abikoye pointed that government cannot continue to put money in the banks for lending to farmers, saying recapitalization may not necessarily proffer solution but that farmers should pull resources together to own their own bank for the purpose of lending to farmers.

Other alternative funding to agriculture according to Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural lending ( NIRSAL) representative, Mr, Babajide Arowosafe was that government should divert some idle levies on agricultural produce into financing agriculture as smart fund that would be de-risked by NIRSAL saying “ pension fund is huge. It can be used for agriculture while being de-risk by NIRSAL)

 The two days event was declared open by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, who advised that all hands must be on deck to make agriculture a success story as she enjoined stakeholders to work together to create a documents that would be further worked on to increase productivity across the country for the common man.

In her speech, the National President, NACCIMA, Iyalode Alaba Lawson (MFR) said that the agricultural policy of agricbusiness ecosystem of Federal Government to improving productivity through priority crops for export market endeared this administration into her association added that “  regain of economic recovery and growth plan 2017-2020, developed to drive structural economic transformation with emphasis on improving both public and private sector efficiency, increasing national productivity and achieving sustainable diversification of production to significantly grow the economy and achieve maximum welfare for the citizens, beginning with food and energy security”