By Brave Dickson
Some farmers across the country have expressed their displeasure over an alleged unfair handling of the anchor borrowers programme by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The National President of the Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria, Chief Daniel Okafor also told our correspondent how insecurity had destroyed farm business.
While applauding the presidency on border closure, Chief Okafor also added that: “The anchor borrowers programme is good because it has helped sone of the farmers to increase their productivity.
“But the way the Central Bank of Nigeria is handling the anchor borrowers programme is not the best.
“CBN is giving the anchor borrowers to whoever it likes without getting the real information from the federal ministry of agriculture.
Another challenge we have as farmers is the issue of Boko Haram, kidnappers, herders’ attacks etc which all boils down to violent crimes on farmers and their farms.
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“Some farmers recently called me, telling me that they will not go to the farms to harvest because of insecurity.
“I will like the federal government to ensure that every sector of the nation’s agriculture gets the opportunity to access the anchor borrowers.
“We also expect government at all levels to always consult real farmers when making decisions for the agricultural sector.
“What we see now and then is to exclude us from governments’ planning and later call us to come and implement what we know nothing about.
“Industrial agriculture can only be possible if we begin with mechanised farming.
“We the farmers are equally okayed with border closure because it has given us the opportunity to excel as farmers.
“Importation has done a lot of wrong to this country. Any country that keeps importing goods and services is not a country.”
