The Flour Milling Association of Nigeria (FMAN) has said it is ready to save Nigeria on the part of Self-sufficiency in Wheat production.
This was asserted by the National Programme Manager of FMAN, Aliyu Samaila during the wheat Farmers’ Green Field day’s celebration held in Galma, Zaria Local government of Kaduna state.
The association which is a partnership of Flour Millers, is aimed at sustainably expanding Wheat production in Nigeria, thereby increasing Farmer Yields to make Wheat competitive with rice and other dry season crops through its wheat programme being implemented through the Anchor Borrower Programme (APB) initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 15 Northern states of Nigeria.
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Speaking at the occasion, Samaila explained that, Wheat which is an integral Part of Nigeria’s Food Chian, is hampered by some Factors in the previous years, thus, the need for the association among other stakeholders to complement the govt, Farmers in their efforts for wheat production in other to ensure food Security of the Nation.
He said Nigeria spending about 4 billion Dollars on the importation of wheat, a situation he noted has not only taking toll on the exchange rate of the nation due to the whooping amount spent on importation, but also denies farmers their means of livelihood.
“It is a common knowledge that Nigeria now imports or spends an average of 4 billion dollars, if we take the current exchange rate, that is almost 2 trillion naira, you know what that means been taking out of the country, it doesn’t only put pressure on foreign exchange, but it also denies farmers their means of livelihood who can go and get those money or some of it as time goes.
“The second reasons is that 2020 has shown us that you may have the money to import, but there are circumstances that will prevent you from importing because the countries you import from are not ready to sell as COVID-19 has shown, borders were closed, ships cannot take any produce to any countries that there was no movement, so when you have a particular crop that is critical to your food chain, you will just have to be in a position that is very difficult for you.
“So as an organization we thought of back up integration, that is, producing locally fields in to the maize, so in essence, what FMAN and other stakeholders are doing, is to raise the level of wheat production to industrous skill to fit into this means as import substitution, so that it won’t be a day job, but gradual substitution until we are able to do an 100 Percent substitution from import”., he said.
Speaking on the overview of the programme in Kaduna state, he said that Kaduna state as one of the leading state in Wheat production with about 200 farmers under FMAN, thousands of Wheat Farmers under the Anchor Borrower programme of the CBN, has teachable farmers ready to take off technology and adopt it, as well, do the right thing in the production of wheat.
Samaila pledged that the association will work closely with Kaduna state to expand the intervention programme for wheat farmers in the state so as to become the number state in wheat production.
“The FMAN Wheat outgrown programme is in 4 local Government areas, namely: Zaria, Sabon Gari, Makarfi and Pembegua with about 200 hundred farmers, 100 hectares of land for wheat production.
“We are willing to Offtake from all Wheat Farmers in Kaduna state. We have forty demonstration plots accross LGA to train wheat farmers”.
Speaking also at the occasion, Head of Development Finance, Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), Aminu Muhammad said, after the launch of the Anchor Borrower programme for Rice and Wheat Farmers by President Muhammed Buhari, the Wheat production of the CBN has never stopped, stressing they had never relented in their attempt to grow Wheat in Nigeria.
He also that noted the Financial institution, which is a very critical stakeholders in the programme is committed to see that Nigeria is on part of Self-sufficiency in Wheat Production.
According to him, “what the CBN is doing is because of what we have seen, during the lockdown the International communities shut their doors for exportation of food items, including wheat, Rice, so immediately we wore our thinking cap and strategized and say that the means of producing wheat in Nigeria has to be instituted, it has to go that way, so that we can say that yes wheat is produced in Nigeria.
“Our annual consumption of Wheat is 4m metric tons but the production is in thousands. So whatever CBN is doing is where we see gap, we try to create a solution and that is what lead to the importation of seeds from Abroad and the primary reason for the importation of these seeds is to do seeds multiplication”
Wheat Farmers who are beneficiaries of the FMAN Wheat programme in Kaduna state, said, the intervention initiated by the association has done more good than anyone could imagine.
According Faith Bonnet, “FMAN has made Wheat Farming easy for us in the aspect of Input, you know when Farming requires an input, and that inputs are available at that moment, it will give you a good yield. So 70% percent of the job was done by them.
“They provided inputs for us. We had our Fertilizers, Seed care, the staff, we don’t have to find someone for us, even when we are on our bed, they are at the farm supervising it for us , telling us what to do, so, they made the Wheat Farming easy for us”.
Also, Yahaya Dauda, “I am happy because it has helped improved my livelihood. As a HND holder, they have helped me immensely.” He said.
“The Wheat Farming is a good thing for me because I am able to feed my family, I am self employed, I have workers under me, doing the irrigation and whole lots. So, they have really helped us”.
