AFAN wants Anchor Borrowers' program institutionalised

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The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), has called for the institutionalisation of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) for its sustainability.

AFAN while noting that the ABP has impacted in some ways, said the programme can impact more if institutionalised.

National President of AFAN, Kabir Ibrahim, who disclosed this while speaking with journalists, called for synergy between the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant stakeholders in the agriculture sector for the sustainability of the programme.

According to him, “it is not good for CBN to be on its own, the agriculture ministry and other agencies under the ministry to be on their own, we must have some synergy to be self-sufficient.

“The ABP can be better if the real farmers are targeted, it has an impact but it can impact more. For it to be sustainable, it has to be institutionalised. If we don’t institutionalise, there will be no continuity.

Ibrahim also called on the CBN to target genuine farmers who are into the production of rice and other commodities under the ABP, for the country to achieve food security.

The implication of this, he said, could threaten food security.

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Ibrahim added that the ABP, if not done properly, could threaten food security, as paddy of rice now sells between N18, 000 to N19, 000 from the previous price of N9,000 to N10,000.

He linked the high cost of rice to some farmers who are not genuinely into the production of rice but benefitting from the ABP.

He said: “Rice has remained very costly because some of the people called the prime anchors get the money instead of giving our farmers to produce, they now go to the market and buy paddy.

“If you look at paddy now, it is selling between N18, 000 to N19, 000 per bag, so when the millers’ process, they will have to add their own first, that is why 50 kg of rice bag is selling between N26, 000 and N27,000.

“The ABP would have been better if it was sprouting from the discussion with the actual stakeholders, which include reaching the various commodity associations through AFAN, the umbrella body of farmers.

With this, the real farmers will be targeted because we will not allow anybody to come to Abuja to pretend with their suits that they are farmers.

“Some of the people who took the money are not in any production, they are buying the rice, which is causing scarcity and making it expensive for Nigerians.

“What we are working towards is food security, so the real farmers should be targeted.”

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