Sunflower Association alerts FG on foreigners posing as tourists to exploit farmers

Kebbi State Governor, Sen. Abubakar Badugu

·       *Kebbi Governor cautions on distortion

Stakeholders at the meeting of Sunflower Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria have alerted and called on the government to curb the influx of foreigners who came in the guise of tourists but only to end up buying agricultural produce at exploitative prices from the farmers.

The call was made to express their discontent and  forestall the distortion this uncontrolled influx could bring into the agricultural value chain system saying that it may negatively impact on the country effort to develop the sector.

The association said it wanted the Nigerian immigration office to ensure that a foreigner that came into the country under the guise of tourism, without work permit, should not be allowed to start buying agricultural produce directly from farmers.

They added that this would not be allowed in other countries saying no Nigerian would be permitted to enter any Asian countries with tourist visa, without work permit, that would ever be allowed to go hinter land to buy any of their agricultural produce directly from the farmers.

The national President of the Association, Alhaji Jubril Bubar wanted the government to ensure that legitimate foreigners were the ones operating in the value chains of the sunflower productivity saying that support must be given to commodity associations through capacity building that would enhance standard.

In another development the Kebbi State Governor, Sen. Abubakar Badugu has called on the Federal Government (FG) to be more proactive on the issue of commodity trade distortions, saying that the process would halt the country’s development if care was not properly taken. The governor made the call during a one-day capacity building activity sponsored by Sterling Bank.

Senator Badugu said that the earlier the government takes action the better pointing out  that agricultural produce were traded on the commodities market exchange in most emerging economies.

 He complained that farmers could not dictate prices because the country’s economy is being determined by the forces of demand and supply fromthe international market, stressing that  it had become imperative to be aware of economic variables that may positively or negatively impact on commodities prices in the international market.