BOA, NIRSAL have failed, NAIC needs reposition, says Yam Chairman

The Chairman, Yam Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Oyo State chapter Dr. Ajibike Lafeet has emphasised the need for farmers to establish their own bank that will replicate Rabo bank in Netherland, saying that Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) have failed the farming system just as he asked for the repositioning of Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NIAC) for more effectiveness to secure farmers’ losses. Read the translation of his comments in vernacular at the just concluded South West annual research review in Moorplantation, Ibadan.

Dr. Lateef said that ‘’Farming is retrogressing in Nigeria because our Governments are not serious about it. Farmers do not have the privilege to get loan as expected due to conditions attached to getting it. Let us do a comparison of what we get in Brazil and country where we get farmers banks. There are three categories of farmers. There is one that plant oranges and other tree crops that requires 3-4 years before fruiting. How many farmers can sustain on commercial banks’ 28% interest loan to embark on any tree crops that will not be hypertensive before the fruiting of the crops.

 There are other set of farmers that need a moratorium period before they can embark on payment. There is no way getting loan from the commercial banks can be of any help to farming in Nigeria except we establish farmers’ bank and until that is done, we shall continue to deceive ourselves. NIRSAL has failed, BOA has also failed. What made them to fail is that we did not establish them with our internal farming realities in Nigeria. Secondly, farmers have no access to improve technologies that can increase their productivity. How many farmers can obtain a tractor running to millions? Many chemicals farmers are buying are already expired and all these are negatively affecting our productivity at the end of the day. Farmers need training on food preservations to mitigate food wastages for future food security.

The issue of herdsmen and farmers has become national problem. Oyo state has gone to the state assembly to establish a grazing law against the activity. Presently Myetti Allah has taken his Excellency, the Governor of Oyo state to court on this matter also. This is a great problem in our state which can be solved by application of three types of traditional medicines that can prevent cattle from entering and eating farmers’ produce if they are permitted for use. There is need to reposition our agricultural insurance policy. Farmers do not have good insurance policy. How can Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) be giving 2% to farmers after spending so much? We need a better insurance for us to move forward in agricultural farming in Nigeria’’