…As Sanwo-Olu gives discounted feeds, fertilizers to poultry farmers
IBRAHIM QUADRI
The South West chairman of All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Femi Oke has commended President Bola Tinubu over the introduction of Nigerian Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) to assist two million registered farmers in getting loans for seamless farming in the country.
Oke gave the commendation in an interview with our correspondent, giving assurance that the prices of food commodities in the country will be crashed because of federal and state’ Government interventions on agricultural productivity.
Nigerians are still lamenting the high cost of food commodities more than seven months after the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, promised a crash in prices.
Kyari had made the promise in a post he shared on X on July 10, 2024, where he unveiled measures that would bring down food prices in the course of 180 days.
One of the measures included the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities through land and sea borders.
The minister listed the commodities to include maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas, adding that the Federal Government would import 250,000 metric tons of wheat and 250,000 metric tons of maize.
The minister said production in the 2024/2025 farming cycle would be ramped up with aggressive agricultural mechanization to reduce drudgery, lower production costs, and boost productivity.
However, seven months after unveiling the measures, implementation had yet to kick off, and food prices have increased beyond what most Nigerians could afford.
For instance, according to our findings from the Agege market, although there is a slash in the price of a bag of rice that sold for N100,000 in December 2024 now being sold for N80,000, many still considered the price outrageous.
A five litres of groundnut oil is sold for N14,000, red oil of the same size cost N11,000.
A kilogram of meat is now sold between N4,000 and N4,500 while a kilogram of Titus is N5,500 which used to be N1,000
A paint of garri is sold for between N2,500 and N3,000 depending on the quality while a paint of yam flour cost N4,000 and cassava flour costs N2,700.
In addition, a bulb of onion goes as high as N500 while a crate of eggs which used to sell as low as N1,500 now being sold between N4,000 to N6,000.
However, despite this gloomy scenario, Oke is optimistic things will soon get better.
Oke stated, “Even the establishment of livestock ministry is okay. It’s a real step up in that sector. It had never been in existence, it had never happened in Nigeria. So, I’m thinking that with that, its effect will come up in the industry.
“We know how much the price of egg is now and the prices of beans and maize because those are the major commodities that citizens consume, the prices will surely come down.”
Citing examples, “And most of the state governments are now trying to emulate a sort of clusters sector where farmers can bring in their goods. Lagos state, for instance, they are working seriously on Ketu Ejirin in Epe where farmers will easily bring in their produce.
“So, if this one could take off, there is no way the price of commodities will not crash in the market. So, implementations of all this is what we are waiting for and we are agitating for.
“We only need to still solicit support with all our governors in various states to do that,” he added.
On banditry, the Chairman stated, “the bandits’ harassment and threat is not as before, which we thank God for.
“But if these agro-rangers, like all these security people could be introduced or they could strengthen vigilante groups of Nigeria to take care of most of all these states, let it not be at the national level because they know the terrain of their areas. I’m sure with that, many of these farmers who had run from the farm will return.
“That was one of the causes responsible for the price of commodities to be getting higher. But with this, if they could see that there is a lot of security, definitely those that have run out of the business will now come back.”
He further stated, “Then, silos should be introduced, which are storage facilities. They should take cognizance in this area because most of us do have losses on our produce. But if it (silo) could be introduced with all these governors in their states,. it would go a long way.
“I could see that Oyo State is doing a lot. Oyo has decided to work on the Fashola farm, the one that has been in existence during the Western region, during the Awolowo era.
He stated that, “they are even embarking on road reconstruction through the World Bank, opening up all the rural roads.”
While stressing on the World Bank’s support, he stressed the Bank has just given them about $16 billion to open all the roads in Oyo State.
“And I know that Lagos state is going to replicate. So, with all these, I’m sure it will bring the price of all these commodities down.
While responding to a question if the federal government had reached out to the farmers association, he stated that even though they were not solely relying on the government, the farmers’ data and profiling are ongoing.
“We are not relying on the government precisely because AFAN, as an umbrella body of the Farmers Association is an advocacy group. For example, they are working on the data now. They are saying that they want to work on two million farmers in the whole of the Federation. We are encouraging our farmers to go and register.”
He added, “And recently, the introduction of NADF, Nigerian Agricultural Development Fund. The process started when Abdullahi Adamu was our president before Farouk Mudi came in. But to God be the glory, former President Muhammadu Buhari signed that into law before he left. So, President Tinubu has taken it up and they have even appointed executive directors into that sector.
“So, farmers may not need to go to bank, with NADF establishment since we know ourselves. We just want government to strengthen on that Fund where farmers can easily run to.
“We are having a bottleneck in commercial banks. But this one will solve the problem of the farmers. And I’m grateful to the President.”
He also lauded the President for the initiative to procure 2,000 tractors that according to him will be distributed through NADF, saying “So, all this bottleneck is being addressed through this agency. Definitely, the price of commodities will surely come down and there will be food on the table of every Nigerian.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has announced plans to provide feeds, fertilizers, and other inputs to poultry and fish farmers at a 25% discount to bring down the prices of food items and other consumables in the metropolis.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, made this known at a media briefing in Alausa on the Ounje Eko Farmer Subsidy Programme, where major stakeholders in the agricultural value chain were in attendance.
She stated that the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration had provided the sum of ₦500 million for the takeoff of the exercise, adding that the state will closely monitor the process for efficiency and prevent diversion to ensure maximum benefits for residents.
According to her, the state government will deliver the feeds and other inputs to farmers next week, while the pilot scheme of the programme will run throughout February.