~~_T_R __lJ_S_T__T_ue_Sd_a_~_D_&_e_m_b_er_'_3._2_0_"__________________________________~~~~~~~1_9_J1
Business/Agric
------------------------------------------------Cotton producers decry lack of incentive from govt COTION producers In the country are blaming governments for the continued dediM in the industry. They said that they havt shawn enough seriousness OIl fnaQsing productivity but lack ofinccntive from government is affecting them. Speaking at a capacity buUding work.Vlop organIud by the National Cotton Assochtion of Nigeria (NACOTAN) for stakeholders in the North-Ccntnl.in Nasarawa State. various~ Iammted that govmunc:ntwasdoing~littJetosalvagcthedcadcs
of aisls faced in the industiy. Qaomnor Umaru Tanka AJ-Makura who declared the wodabop open. said the Dt'td tOr the workshop is im~ in vkw of the imponance of agricuJtute in nation bu1Jding. He said his admlnistr.dion is committed to cmpowmng funners for growth and developmmL
H<
. Why farmers' registration is'critical to food security By rma A. Hanan
N
IGEIUA'U~
agrarian
country. has 0\-eT the )"ClfSbcen unable to put in plllce adequate and Up-' IfHiatc information On its farmers across the country. This situation has brought little result \0 enormous government efforts 10 ~itallt..e the S«tor
as rcsourca d~ to &rmers hardly rndl th'!IU. With more gtl''t'rnmem autotion S\linging to !he agricultural sector, y,ith a focus on the lb-d· opmcnl of apicultur.ll commodity
value dtains. the need for information on the nun lbttoffarmers. their location IU1d the various fanning activities 1M)"..lfe invoh"Cd in. has
become an ~ious factor in ~i\. ing agtiCuIturc. ·AI the heart of it all is the challenge of dtnrtt of data In lem ts of farmer popula tion. cropplng ::u-ca and proc.IUCllor OlItpul ·The recent flagging off of Iht: National fan", rs Database exerd~ by lhe r-.;orlo:rcl j\lillistry of .-\griculture and Rural rk\-eiopmec t is an action long rwrdue. It is expe..-red
10 fill the gap and make agriculturn1 financing and lnputs support more effidcnl To ~ that tilt ~ groups - the fanners, get adequate input and other supports meant for them to promote food production and ensure food security, farmers ccnsusisincvitable,afactor thathasnot been takmanofinthepast. An dfecth-e farmm database "'Quld enable go\-enunentlmplement its growth enhanamenl support, provide multiple and efficient services of the agricultural commodityvaJuechai.ns. facilitate agood monitoring and evaluation protesses for any raoun::es deployed 10 the sector as wdl as ensure a more !ttl time advisory services 10 rum!
planning and policy fonnuJatiOiL A mmprehensi...e, cmJible and reliable dati of fannen' basic information such as gender. size: o£farmland, t)-pci of ag.ricuItunl activities, income and acass to inputs and markets among o!.hm is critical to the sucass and millzation of 80"emmmlS vision in agriculture as well as quality and nutritious food
can benefit from their efforts. He advised the percei\'td fertilizc:rcartcl to gooul and dealdirectly "ilh farmers since govmunml will no longer handle issues offertilizer procurement and distribution, Instead the money would he placed in tht hands of farmers through a
availability. The~ande\'tfltuaJcen.sw is apected to provide an opportu-
\~cher system is that real
nity(orthecdlationohwifiableand weD. harmonized data offannen 10 whom the ddiveryofservices Wldu theon -golnggovemmenttransfor-
wallon agmda would be built on.
Onhispart,the"linisterofAgri. culture, Or. Akinwumi Adcsina has farmers. relternttd gmwruDmts intention J\ccording to Ihe Permanmt to provide local farmers with farm. Secretary, Federal Ministtyof Agri- inputs such as fertilizer, insurance, culrureandRural Qco.-eIopmmt, Or. ~ access 10 markrts and agriEzekiel O)-anomi,!.he goo.-munc:nt cultur.ll,flnancingamong othen to thought it wi~ 10 know its farmers ensure adequate food productions. and establish an efficient link \\;th Add.re$sing fanners at the lhem because sone arc the days rKently concluded National Agri\\henoruyfcwbendilledfromgm'cultural Show along Kdli-Abuja ttrunent assistance to fanners. road. Nasarawa State, Akin\\-11ffii He said the data when coUected made It clear thai government \\'Ould bt used byagricultunlstake- __ intends to make agriculture a comholdmillb.oth theprh.1!teand pubmefCialb~iness instead of a deve!· _ lie sectors in budgaing. community opreent programme so that futmm
\'OUCher system. The kq bendits of the fertilizc:r farmers would acoess fertilizer at mc:aper rates, the distribution .w oukl be private sector driven therdJy encouraging market axnpetitloo and prioe
stability. . . -A total of 4.0 million metric tons of hi!U1 quality assort£d fertilizers ~ be distributN 10 farmers at lower rate using tIltdearonic \~cherS)1Iml,- Adesinasaid. This can be realized through a reliable
farmers' database. According 10 the minislr}', farmers in the 774 local gm-emmmLs aoos.s the 36 Slates in Nigeria would be registered and their deta.ils docu· mmted, verified and synchronized for US(' by both government and th~ prn'3le seclor. Accordingtodocumentsw.Uled b)' the National Farmer Data Base
about4QOOExtmsionAgoltslCooperati'ltOfficmwouklbemgagedat the farm level. The rtgistration which will be done in phases commmcrd on December J and will end lomonow. Good as Illt project appears. it is obI.ious that thee:urcisewoold ~ to battle with duplkatioo of data as many farmers who belong to one or _ h\'O reIakd agricu1turaI a.ssoda1ions and institutionssuchas ADPs. FADMiA. USAID-MARKET, might ha\.~ thOr IWI1C$ captuml from an aisting data in those 3SliOdatioosI Instil:Ulions whidI forms part ofprimary SOUlU:S of data collection for National Fmner Data Base. H<Mn-er, an official stakrnenl from the secn:tariat india.res that the softv.~1kvcloptd forthis exc-:$ cise "ill automa1ically climina1e an'{ duplication as data collected will be_ concurrently chedted'ftith ~ data bases oflNEC. NatiooaI Com' munication Commission (Ncq; NationaildentJry Can:!, and ~
IJaru< II is""""""" hoped that if ~ FtderaI cn.·emments transformation ~nda really goes the way it is promised, Nigtria rna)' be grndually
5ecrctariat in the Ministry of AgO-_ l11O\-ingfrom food insccuritylO food ,wpru.. culture and Rural Oa-dopment.