We will cultivate over 200,000 hectares of wheat with CBN intervention — NAWFPMAN

The National Wheat Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NAWFPMAN), has assured that it will cultivate over 200,000 hectares of wheat this season with the Central Bank of Nigeria intervention.

The Commodity Association, which is calling for the ban of wheat importation, made this known in Abuja, on Saturday, while addressing a press conference, saying that there is a need to meet the cravings of Nigerians in the full value chain of wheat production in the country.

The association, which comprises of small holder farmers, Processors and Marketers across Nigeria, who are major stakeholders in wheat production, benefited in the last Dry Season Wheat Farming CBN intervention of the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP).

National President of the Association, Alhaji Adamu Ardo, while speaking, urged the Federal Government to boost Wheat production in Nigeria, with a view to helping solve the problem of wheat importation in Nigeria which will help reduce cost of cost of wheat-based products.

Speaking further, he noted that the association did the Central Bank of Nigeria Anchor Borrower’s Program (ABP) last season and cultivated over 15,000 hectares of Wheat, which was bought by Flour Millers Association of Nigeria, adding that the development resulted into cutting down of wheat importation by flour millers to about half of their previous year’s import.

While calling for the need to sustain the tempo, Ardo noted that what the current administration achieved in the area of self sufficiency in rice production can be replicated in wheat production.

“As it was done for rice where we are now self sufficient in its production – which is a positive achievement by this administration, it can as well be done in the area of wheat production. The after effect of this intervention to the masses will definitely be in terms of reduction of cost in flour based items.

“We intend to cultivate over 200,000 hectares of Wheat this season with CBN intervention to ensure Nigeria becomes self sufficient in wheat the way we have become self sufficient in rice,” he stated.

Speaking in the same vein, the National Secretary of the Association, Princess Shola Amushitan, a passionate farmer of many years, who is also known as Mama Wheat, in her remark,

commended the CBN and reiterated the readiness of the Association in cultivating the 200,000 hectares in this year’s dry season farming.