‘We will ensure that members get loan for wet season farming’

Newly elected President of National Association for Sorghum Producers and Processors Exporters and Marketers (NASPPEM), Alhaji Muhammad Babayo Maina

‘We will ensure that members get loan for wet season farming’

Recently, Foodfarmnews had a chat with the newly elected president of National Association for Sorghum Producers and Processors Exporters and Marketers (NASPPEM), Alhaji Muhammad Babayo Maina where he promised better working conditions for members of his association and much more. Excerpts...

What should we expect from you as the new President of your association?

As the president of National Association for Sorghum Producers and Processors Exporters and Marketers (NASPPEM), I will want to change farming perception from developmental project to seeing agriculture as business thereby we emphasize on commercial production to wealth creation for members. 

This association is formed by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) to reflect the importance the government attach to value addition of all agricultural produce for both local consumption and export. I will strive to bringing producers, processors and marketers together for a common goal of wealth and job creation in a commercial way thereby moving from subsistence practice to commercial agriculture that will enable us access to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) anchor agricultural loan.

How do you really want to attract this loan to farmers, processors and marketers at same time?

Anchor programme is a programme that is domiciled with CBN, and the major Associations have been able to access this loan. Associations like Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Maize Association of Nigeria (MAN) and North East Commodity Associations (NECAs) and farmers have shown they have the capacity to take loan and be able to pay back.

Give us the experience of what NECA did with CBN?

NECA went into agreement with CBN by taking loans which they distributed to members based on the numbers of farmer’s acreage  together with inputs using the extension services to support them from ploughing to clearing, planting and harvesting.

The entire loan taken has been returned with their produce because there were problem of market. So NECA pay back with produce instead of catch so as to encourage farmers to go back to farming.

How much was given to NECA by CBN?

In the last wet season, NECA was able to collect 9.2 billion naira that was distributed to farmers and loans return is already done.

Are you saying you want to replicate NECA style in your own association?

Yes. That is exactly what i want to do for our members to benefit with assurance to repayment.

How shortly or soon would this your plan for the association starts?

By the grace of God if everything goes right, we want to do it 2019 wet season.

How connected are you with your other executives?

Yes, my team is formidable. The team is geographically spread all over the country. The three actors of the association which are farmers, processors and marketers are deeply involved as they are part of the executive and Board of Trustees and we are working harmoniously with Federation of Commodity Associations (FACAN) and FMITI. 

We can prove to the world that we are going to do our best by God’s grace to deliver to better sorghum productivity by fully harness the potentials at all the value chains of the crop because our objective is to ensure market for farmers, processor and marketers towards high GDP.