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Farmers now buy fertilizers through mobile phone -Minister's aide Specla1Adviser to the MlnisterofAgriculture and Rural Development. Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, recently spoke with OIAWALE RASHEED on the new revolution In fertilizer distribution In the country. Exceq>ts: Honorable Mlnlstt:l' for Agr1cul!ulT. Dr AllIn Adea lna. and coopen.Uon of all tilt: cr1UCa1 actont ls .tIat is producing these
field resulta tllat an: pu tting fann tnpuls into Ule hands of fanne .... What h u been at: h l~d _ far on ah£. project? A lot haa been dont: and achlevt:d. Series of meetings have bee:n hdd wllh the rt:rtlll~er suppliers to In(orm and gent:ratt: thei r Lntt:rat 10 the scheme. Sevt:nteen rertllUer aupplte.-. have been identified and have shown commlUOenl to parllclpale In the scheme. lllt:y wUl reed about 2.500 certifi ed agro deaJent spread acf'OM the cou n lry The aupplient wtIl feed 81lolher 1.708 agro delde... t hat are yet to be «rllned We have also compUt:d a list of YerlO ed agro dealt:n and forwarded same to all partklpaUng banks and «lIulanl. Are t h e stp-ta eooperatlnglDith ah e m ln.lstry? IUJ of now. llKM"e than 15 atata have written 10 commit t.hemsel'I'CS to respect
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T «LACtiM L. being done In fertJ lu - d.u-tribu don to
m a ke Ihll pro d uct 4CCUSlble to fannen7 The lIonorubie Mlnlster. u part of hi. agenda . Introduced the Growth Enhanc ement Support ICES) programme u an agr1culturc sector componcm or the transformation agenda of t.ht: Federal Gove.mment or Nigerta It 5eC'U to un 20 mUItOR poor fanners ou t 0( 5ubelsten« Into aclrsumclency (rom the sIX geopolitical tones Mer thoo RUI36 months. Unlike prevloua app roaches 10 1I1I the productMty of the ranne.rs, the GES prncrammt!. an InIUJIUve led by Peden..!
Ml rlla t ry dr Agriculture and Rural Development. pula the re.ource constralned fa.rmer at the center of the agr1cuIlunI ..alue chain and creates •
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crtuc.l .dore In the rerUllzcr value chain 10 work together to Improve the prndUCIIVlj1. food and tncome ~rtty of the Ntgtrtan (armer. Whot ore the .pec(flc:: obJec:tl.vrd qflhe p ? 11K: m or p i is to make (erttUur .vtu.ble CJ'08S Ule counlry. ThLs Is being do Ie by getting the prh'.tc seetor .ctors b.ck tn to the ferUlt.t.er value ~ 50 lhat the prodU,Clkm and dJ.trtbuUo lI elemen~ c.n dnelop. ~ prog(.IIIMe IS changing the role of government from procurer .nd dlatrtbutor to regu lator or umpire of UM' value dlaln .cton .nd acUvltJea II I• • •'hole revolutlon.ry project de Igned to change the dynamics .nd attitudes of the . . Iue chain .clora froDl eha.alntgovemment business to
chasing business wllh fannen , H OIII doe. GSS work I n a .Impl(fled waJl? ThI5 is how' Il WOI'b. 1he Yedera.l Government and the Siaic govemmmlS provide a GES support to farmers who .IT cu.lu.... ung 0I'le: 10 three hectares that is enough to support them to go 10 an ago de.leT' to buy two balt' of ferUlll:er, l1l1s support Is • cuh support to be loaded on their mobile waneta . . an e - voucher Suppliers of fertJlb:ent have been ""~Ing with Ole ~mmcmt al vartous levels to develop a national dlatrlbutlon netMK'k ItO that all bcndklaJ1e:s of t he scheme c. n get access to a registered .gro dealeT' In the.lr wards o r counct.I are.. , Each farmer wtIl visit the agI'o dealer during t h e redemption week with his or her balBIlCe of the money rtqulTed for buying tile two bags and tTdcemlng t h eir money for fertilizer by trans(erTIng their e -vuudlent to th e agro dealer of their chotec. Fannen wil l receive support both for lerUll.cer and aecds. Con t h £. IDO rk In Nigeria? Emph.Ucally. yes DurI n g the p h ase one p ilot In rour states. 70 per cent of the participati ng 400 rarmen successfully redeemed their GES support (or ferUUze ... Durtog the e.tgIlI-atate pilot which c:ommenced on 7 M arch. 2:2 per cent of reglslt:red r.rmt:,.. In Delta Slate rt:deemed their GI::S support for seeds and fertlllun In the fil'llt sl,; houn of Ihe rarsl da,. of the pilot. Tht: guiding le.de~hlp o(Ule
the terms and co n dlllons In p.rtlClpa tln g In t h e GES. This ..... U'lenslveiy discussed and concluded at Ihe last Council of Agriculture meeting Fedc:ra.I Ministry of Finance has also signed memorandum or undc:ntanding With blinD and Fedc:ra.I Mlnlatry of Agriculture and Rural Dc:vc:lopment ror I he prOviSion of guarantee on 70 per cenl of the credit pl'OYkkd by banks pa.rUclpaUng In Ule scheme. Mind you. in lereal d.-.-.baclr. escrow account has been created In the Central Bank of Nigeria (CONI· Many advances have been recorded in lhls respect. " I saJd earlltr b: t h e progn:urune now In Uft'? Va. we haYe concluded the pilot programme, In addition 10 meetings with aU stakeholders. to agrc:e on alructure and modality of Implemen l allon of the scheme . The l-tonourable Minlster is committed 10 producti ve Implemenlatlon through full buy- In of all stakt:holdc:ra
Chief Mrs
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Tunji, Olatokunbo, Dejl, Yetunde, Dupe, Dayo .. ,
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