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The Commodity Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria ( COMAFAS) a grassroot non governmental organization has on Tuesday officially commenced the training of 150 youths in fishery and poultry farming with the grant of $77, 942 given by the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS).
The Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS), Sen Abubakar Kyari with other dignitaries from Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) will tomorrow attend the official flag off training of 150 youths in fishery and poultry farming.
In view of African food shortage with Nigeria being greatly affected as foods import from Ukraine/ Russia and India have dwindled , the African Development Bank ( AfDB) is in partnership talks with Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria ( SEEDAN) towards how to bring back Growth Enhancement Scheme ( GES) of Agricultural Transformation Agenda ( ATAP) to drive the food security system with efficient accounting of inputs distribution to farmers in the up coming dry season farming.
The lead spokesman of SEEDAN at the meeting with AfDB officials last week at Abuja, Engr. Yakubu Atar Stephen told Food Farm News in an interview that the African bank is ready to raise 135 million dollars to finance seeds and fertilizers availability through the association using GES template to distribute inputs to farmers in major three crops.
crops.
Engr. Stephen said the issue of how to mop up quality seeds in circulation so as to avert scarcity was topmost in the discussion, adding that the AfDB is determined to rescue food shortage in Nigeria through secured seed inputs for the next planting season.
According to him " AfDB has called SEEDAN into a partnership talk about its intention to rescue food shortage in Africa to the tune of $15 billion as about $134 million has been set aside for Nigeria to finance inputs of seeds and fertilizers through the Growth Enhancement Scheme of Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the bank in rice, wheat and maize for this up coming dry season as we have also pointed that GES must be extended to other crops in the other states of the federation for more wealth and job creations"
Stephen said they have advised that the process of mopping up certified seeds in these three crops must be immediate to avert people eating up the seeds as food thereby creating scarcity at the time of need.
He stated " we have advised that the first thing to be done is to raise enough finance to mop up available improved seeds against being eaten as foods in order to avert scarcity "
The three crops the program is looking at using the GES process are wheat, rice and maize according to Engr. Stephen of SEEDAN.
As part of effort to ensure peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders towards food security, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to make use of the new report on Livestock being submitted to him yesterday at his office.
The nation' s major stakeholders on certified seeds production have condemned the selling of fake seeds using a recognized identity to defraud farmers, just as they enjoined both Seeds Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN) and National Agricultural Seeds Council of Nigeria (NASC) to become more active in bringing to book defaulters against efficient seeds system.
The National Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN) has distanced itself from the acclaimed five-year strategic plan for Irish potato by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security ( FMAFS).
The Department of State Security ( DSS) Agency has increased the tempo of interrogations on commodity Associations and financial institutions that participated in the Federal Government ( FG) Anchor Borrower Program ( ABP).
The Agriculture Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN) new executives have promised a better reportage of the sector towards economic and wealth development in Nigeria.
* AFAN advocates monitoring
As efforts to embark on inputs procurement for year 2023 food security by the Federal Government ( FG) commenced, an insider has complained against the late exercise that may not meet the rainy season planting by farmers.
The National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Architect Kabir Ibrahim has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently matching order to recover 1.9 trillions naira given as agricultural loan under the Anchor Borrower Program ( ABP) of Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN).
