FG to unifying over 198,000 various farmers in Kebbi for regular interventions

 Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi

  The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has charged various farmers Associations in Kebbi State to converged under the umbrella of All Farmers Association( AFAN) for proper interventions and regulations by federal government.

   Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sani Sabo Nanono who stated this in Thursday during a  commodities value chain stakeholders meeting with various farmers associations in Birnin Kebbi noted that if they are operating under AFAN ,it would be more easier to reach out to them than at the various units.

   The Minister who was represented by the Kebbi State Director of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD),Alhaji Abdullahi Shehu explained that, in the past, Kebbi has about 198,000 farmers cultivating various crops across the state, but due to lack of one body, championing their course, only 20,000 farmers got farming interventions from the Federal Government.

  “The purpose of this meeting is ensure that all farmers associations are under the umbrella of All Farmers Association of Nigeria.  AFAN is the father of Commodities Associations.  Here in Kebbi state,it is very difficult to put them together. And when you are looking for them for proper intervention, there is need for us to get one umbrella body that will be contacted.

   ” So, if they work together under AFAN,we can collaborate with the Commodities Associations to meet their needs. If they come together, they could find a common ground”, he said.

  He added that the Federal Government is concerns  about their operations under one umbrella, stressed that it would add more value to not only to the rice product but to farm crops like maize, millets, sorghum, cassava, tomatoes which Kebbi State has comparative advantage upon.

  In his remark, the State Chairman of AFAN,Alhaji Usman Dan Gwandu commended the FMARD for the initiative stressed that their action would bring more interventions for the farmers in the state.

  The Permanent Secretary, Mohammad Lawal Shehu Kebbi State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who identified lack of improved seedling as major challenge faced by farmers in the state charged the farmers to redouble their efforts to sustain Nigeria as a nation which can feed it population without interventions of foreign countries.