Commodity Associations want government support

The ten new agricultural commodity associations given certificates of official operation by the Federal Government (FG) have demanded for more support and interventions that would enable them to be efficient in their service delivery to ensure food security, wealth and job creation in Nigeria. This demand was made yesterday at the official launching and presentation of certificates to the associations by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) in Abuja.

The National President, Federation of Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) Dr. Victor Iyama represented by Alhaji (Dr.) Bello Dogondaji emphasised that more government support must be given to agricultural productivity in order to attract premium prices for commodities saying that the ministries (FMITI &Agric) and other federal government agencies must work as team to ensure the success of the present administration’s backward integration policy which has started with rice production.

He said that the team work between FMITI and other agencies like Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS), Nigerian Export Promotion Council(NEPC) and Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) would certainly attract high premium and job creation as standard are given priority.

Senator Mohammed Maigoro, a member of Neem association also solicited for government support to commodities in order to create job for youth and women, adding that 100 million people could be uplifted from poverty through the neem trees which alone can give thirty million jobs if well supported.

He decried the epileptic power supply system that has impacted negatively on the processing of agricultural produce and making it difficult for standards to be met which consequently results rejection in the market.

The President of Mushroom Producers, Processors and Marketers Association, Chief Michael Awunor  said the association would be engaging five different countries and the national industries to off-take their produce for use in food processing as additive, saying the crop would soon be among the highest revenue generators in the country.

He added that ‘’ the commodity associations discovered, developed and organised by this arm of the ministry are capable of turning around the fortune of our country as well as solving the unemployment problem facing us today as a nation. If mushroom sub sector is well funded, it is capable of engaging five hundred thousand youths and women annually.’’

The National President, Coconut Producers, Processors and Marketers’ Association of Nigeria ( NACOPPMAN) Mrs. Nma Okoroji also want other producing states to replicate the support both  Lagos and Akwa-Ibom states government were giving to the cash crops saying that ‘’coconut sufficiency and development has been among the cardinal macro-economic objectives of most governments in the developing world.’’

Okoroji who commended the effort of government its readiness to support farmers saying  that ‘’the sustenance of this commodity is a paradox if not tackled with sincerity of purpose and a partnership of the stakeholders and Government at all levels to invest in plantations in the 32 viable states. With the establishment of 10,000 hectares plantation using the viable coconut seedlings, the realization of the biggest coconut plantation in Africa is feasible.’’

The Permanent Secretary,  FMITI, Mr. Sunday Akpan urged the associations to ensure they operate within the constitution limits by also working with team spirit and eschew sit-tight syndrome, and ensure that elections are conducted at the appropriate time in order to ensure continuity and transparency among the members.

Mr. Akpan lamented on the dissolution of marketing board through 1986 commodities liberalization policy that had allowed entrance of people without requisite capacity of the market conducts which led to a chaotic situation whereby an Export Commodities Coordinating Committee (ECCC) was constituted to sanitise the system by organising the existing and new associations for more competitive market with the involvement of apex umbrella of the commodity associations.

He promised that government in its effort to diversify the economy through a sector with high comparative advantage would be ready to support any commodity that would help to achieve job and wealth creations in the country adding that ‘’ I want to assure you that top players in the commodity sub-sector will be continually supported by the government.’’

Newly certified commodity associations that were advised to genuinely operate in the country include those based on poultry, maize, sheep and goat, coconut, tomato, neem, hibiscus, sunflower, mango and mushroom.