The president of the National Producers, Processors, Millers, and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NARPPMMAN), Alhaji Mustafa Ahmadu, has urged Nigerians to be fully involved in agriculture and to go back to farming, noting that for any nation to attain food sufficiency, or achieve food security, the citizens and the private sector must be involved such that, when the government develops policies and programs, the people drive them.
Ahmadu made this known at the inauguration of new executive of the South-West zone of NARPPMMAN, last Thursday, at Lafia Hotel, Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to him, the need to improve on rice production is much needed, stressing that the constant increase in the prices of rice is affecting everyone, thus there is the need for all Nigerians to go back to the farm and do the work.
“We need our farmers to work as a team, and also to follow the right steps to be taken by using the mechanised farming. With these, I believe we can get the desired tons per acre. In Nigeria, our population is over 200 million, and every Nigerian can eat at least one bag of rice in a year. If each person can eat at least one bag of rice in a year, that means we have to come on board and invest in farming. Every Nigerian needs to be a farmer, farm what you eat, and also farm what you sell.
“Therefore, we are encouraging all Nigerians to join the farmers association so that we can all be farmers whereby we can harvest, process, and develop our products and sell to other nations,” he added.
In the same vein, the vice-president, South-South zone of the association, Mr Austin Atrogor, urged members in the South-West to give out their BVN details to the association, to have access to governmental loans from the Federal Government, which would in a way be a major benefit to them and the society at large.
“The people in South-West believe that once their BVN is requested, their privacy is being intruded on and that people will use the opportunity to go into their privacy and scam them. The BVN is the only collateral that CBN uses, as a criterion for giving out loans, and this is the only way farmers can have access to loans to improve their farming. But since most of them are afraid to give out their BVN details due to cybercrime, it becomes impossible for them to access these loans, and that is why most of the people from the South are lagging,” he added.
In his goodwill message, the Financial Secretary for the association, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, encouraged farmers not to give up, but to intensify more in their practice of farming as an occupation, and to also pay their associational dues as this would facilitate the smooth running of the association.
According to him, “you reach out to the people, you serve the people, and there are benefits to enjoy if you fully participate in the association. South-West members are not paying their dues, and it is of necessity for them to pay, as this would facilitate the smooth running of the association. Thus, I plead with us as members to fulfill our obligations and pay up our dues.”
The inauguration was graced by Assistant Director/Head of Station, National Cereals Research Institute, Ibadan, Dr Danbaba Nehemiah; vice-president South-West of NARPPMMAN, Mrs Folashade Osundairo, among other dignitaries.
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