From Iro Dan Musa – Jigawa
An agricultural management consultant and natural resources firm in collaboration with a Nigerian Agribusiness company Silvex International limited with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) under its LINKS project has flagged-off a 900 hectares of private sector-led out-grower rice paddy cultivation support scheme to farmer for 2021 dry season at Kadume community in Malam Madori local government area of Jigawa state.
Speaking during the event Managing Director M&A Greenery limited Professor Muhammad Auwal Hussaini revealed that the agricultural sector needs serious private sector intervention to complement government efforts of economic diversification adding that individual farmers, as well as group farmer associations, are critical stakeholders that should always be carried along to achieve a meaningful agribusiness development.
The MD also revealed that a sizable number of farmers have been registered under the scheme and over 50 private extension workers have been trained, certified, and empowered with support from FCDO.
Similarly, on behalf of the Chief Operating Officer of Silvex Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Silvex Alhaji AbubakarHamisu Karfi revealed that the intervention scheme is a non-interest driven introduced by his firm adding that farmers stand to get 6 bags of 15-15-15 NPK fertilizer, 3 bags of Urea as well as certified paddy seeds among other agricultural inputs for better and quality yield adding that the firm will serve as the off-taker of all paddy produced under the scheme at current market price.
However, the emir of Hadejia Dr. Adamu Abubakar Maje urged farmers that have benefitted from either governmental or private sector intervention in agricultural development in the state to always be prompt in repaying the loan given to them.
