AFAN calls for involvement of stakeholders in farmer-data capture exercise

The National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Arc Kabir Ibrahim, has called for the proper involvement of relevant stakeholders in the farmer-data capture exercise.

AFAN president in a statement personally signed by him and made available to the Blueprint emphasized the need for direct involvement of relevant stakeholders including the States Ministries of Agriculture, Federal Directors of Agriculture and Farmer-associations like AFAN in all agricultural activities.

He urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to always recognize states and farmer associations in their intervention programmes.

“While it is a very crucial component for planning, a farmer-data capture exercise undertaken without the direct involvement of the States Ministries of Agriculture, Federal Directors of Agriculture and Farmer-associations like AFAN will fail woefully.

“Any intervention in Agriculture by anyone,especially,the FMARD and the CBN must take cognizance of the States and the farmer-Assiciations to really have any significant impact on Agriculture in Nigeria.

“Agriculture takes place in the states and the farmers who work the land to produce crops and raise livestock also reside in the states,” he stated.

According to him, the Federal Government does not own farms and not all the states are governed by the same party as such the FMARD has to cooperate with the states to convince them to key into its programs to achieve sustainable outcomes.

He noted that appointing consultants and asking them to proceed without any input from the beneficiaries such as the farmers is not going to work sustainably.

In Katsina, for example, he said State at the beginning of the current administration he served on the farmer-data capture committee evolved to enable the government to plan for its Agricultural development policy, which will enable him to confidently contribute to the exercise on the global scale as Nigeria requires.

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