Cotton farmers in Nigeria, under the auspices of National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), has said they had increased their initial production target for 2020 from 200,000 metric tonnes to 300,000 metric tons, as they target to bring about 300,000 farmers on board.
The National President of NACOTAN, Mr Anibe Achimugu, while speaking with journalists immediately after his re-election lead to the association, said before the intervention of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), through the Anchor Borrowers Programme, farmers were getting about 500 to 600kg per hectare, but with quality seeds from the ABP, it has increased to about 2 metric tonnes per hectare.
During their National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, the members of NACOTAN collectively agree to adopt Mr Achimugu and his Executives to lead them for another tenure.
Reacting to this, Mr Achimugu said, “I am overwhelmed, nothing feels as good as when people recognize your efforts. In as much as am happy, am also not unaware of the responsibilities of leading such a great organization, particularly with what we have started under the Anchor Borrowers Programme where we are talking to thousands of farmers across the country, am happy, am grateful and humbled.
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“When I look back, I remember that the association was near comatose, there was no leadership structure, meetings were not being held, state chapters were left on their own, but I would like to think that since my coming on board, I have recognized and registered about 151,000 farmers, we have been able to participate effectively under the Anchor Borrowers Programme, where each farmer got a minimum of N170,000 in input financing.
On cotton production, he said “we are not working in isolation, we are working along with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Next year we are targeting a minimum of 300,000 farmers, that alone even with one hectare or 1 tonnes per hectare, that is 300,000 metric tons.
“As we speak today, we are looking at around 200,000 metric tonnes, and we are talking about yield of 1.5 to 2 tons per hectare. When we started, average yield was about 500 to 600kg per hectare.
He said the NEC convened the so that the state Chairmen and Secretaries of their Association could strategize about aggregation, collection and recovery of loans from their members.
“CBN was here to motivate us to do the right thing, if we do the right thing, they said that 300,000 metric tons is only the beginning.
“CBN called us last week to review the program, as I speak now, we are chatting, we are going to have new guidelines, new ways of doing things under the Anchor Borrowers Program that will benefit us, we just want to encourage CBN,” he added.