Nigeria: Cassava growers association gets American support

In an effort geared towards achieving food security in Nigeria, the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association [NCGA] at the weekend disclosed that it is presently collaborating with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, (IITA), Ibadan in accessing aid from the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) to assist cassava growers in the country boost their output this year.

In a statement signed by the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association's National President Chief Moses Ayinmodu, the farmers' group stated that it strict the deal with the United States based organization as a way to make a positive and significant contribution to president Umaru Musa Yar'adua' 7-Point Agenda which includes Food Security for Nigerians.

The Nigeria Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) also disclosed that it is at the moment disbursing a N200 million [two hundred million Naira] loan facility it secured for its members across the country from the Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank in Kaduna.

The group stated thus; "Nigeria Cassava Growers Association is presently collaborating with International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan in accessing aid from the USAID for cassava growers in various parts of the country. Under the programme, five thousand (5,000) good cassava growers are being selected in each of the ten states specially selected for this purpose. Each participating farmer will be given planting materials of improved and high yielding varieties of cassava and assisted to plant one hectare successfully. The programme is expected to commence at the beginning of the coming rainy season".

The main aim of the programme according to it, is to make planting materials of improved and high yielding varieties of cassava readily available to the ordinary farming families in the rural areas.

"In the first year, the high yielding varieties of cassava will be multiplied on 50,000 hectare of farmers' farmland. It is expected that by next year, there will be enough planting materials of these high yielding varieties throughout the country. Presently, the average cassava farmer in the country is obtaining only about 12-15 tons per hectare. Whereas smaller countries like Thailand are obtaining over 40-50 tons per hectare. This programme being sponsored by USAID aims at making Nigeria a country where the average cassava farmer will be producing 40-50 tons of cassava per hectare. The implications of this programme are clear", it stated.

The group stated that prior to the introduction of this USAID Assisted Programme, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association had been distributing planting materials of some improved varieties of cassava to cassava farmers in Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Taraba, FCT, Kogi, Plateau, Ebonyi, Kwara, Enugu, Zamfara, Anambra, Niger, Kebbi and Nasarawa States, from RTEP cassava multiplication farm in Nasarawa State, with the financial assistance of Raw Materials Research and Development Council. Additional assistance promised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources is still being awaited.

Lamenting that one of the factors constituting a bottle-neck in cassava farmers' attempt to increase their production is the inadequacy of agricultural credit facility and the difficulty in accessing the limited credit available, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association said it has therefore been making concerted efforts to assist members of the Association in various parts of the country to access agricultural credit from various sources.

"A part from the paltry amounts of loans obtained with great difficulties from the Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank in Kaduna, some credit facilities have been obtained for the cassava farmers", it said.

Chief Ayinmodu who is a national award winner of the officer of the order of the Niger (OON) further stated that; "these include, among others, N60 million interest free loan from UNDP for cassava farmers in Osun State, N100 million loan from the Flour Millers Association of Nigeria, (FMAN) in 2007 for over 1,000 cassava farmers in various parts of the Country, N160 million loan from UBA Bank for cassava farmers in Osun State with guaranty from Osun State Government. Efforts made at getting NDDC to assist cassava farmers in the Delta States have not yielded any positive result. However, fresh attempts are being made to get the new Federal Ministry of Niger Delta, to come to the aid of cassava farmers in the region. Similarly pressures are being put on some State Governors who have shown some interest in cassava production, (e.g. Ekiti State), and some Micro-Finance Banks to provide cassava farmers in their States and area of coverage with adequate micro-credit. In 2008, NCGA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nigerian Agricultural Co-operative and Rural Development Bank in Kaduna for the provision of N200 million loan to members of the Association in the various States of the country. The loan is still being disbursed but rather too slowly".

The group further announced the introduction of innovative farmers' market information Global System of Telecommunication, (GSM) in collaboration with service providers in the country.

Chief Ayinmodu said thus; "one of the problems facing Nigeria Cassava Growers Association is the difficulty in marketing members' cassava and cassava products, mainly as a result of poor Market Information System (MIS) in the country. Some months ago, the Presidency through NEPAD Nigeria Office organized a series of workshops on Food Security at the end of which a National Plan of Action on Food Security was drawn up. The development of a Market Information System is a priority item of the National Action Plan. Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, working with other Commodity Associations, such as Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Cotton Grower Association of Nigeria, Sesame Farmers Association of Nigeria, Messrs Farms to Market Synergies Limited and Zain Nigeria took up this challenge and developed a Farmers Network to fill the gap. The Farmers Network is a Close User Group (CUG) that will offer a wide range of discounted services to subscribers who are stakeholders in the Agricultural Sector".


Source: allafrica.com

Publication date: 2/9/2009